I'd Rather be in Philadelphia
by darkheadlights
Summary: Rory's on the campaign trail and it makes an inevitable stop in Philadelphia, where she runs into someone she hasn't seen in quite some time. Literati. Post-series finale.
1. Ohio to Pennsylvania in 8 Hours or Less

**A/N: ANOTHER Literati story? When I already have two in progress to juggle? Yup. Enjoy, and review!**

"So where are we headed next?" Sonia asked, plopping into the bus seat next to Rory with a sigh.

"I don't even know where we are now," Rory replied, running her fingers through her hair, which had been perpetually greasy ever since they'd started the campaign trail in Idaho three months ago. Hotel showers just weren't cutting it, and she'd run out of her own shampoo after a few weeks.

Sonia laughed. "You know what, neither do I."

"We're in Ohio!" someone shouted from the front of the bus.

"Ohio," Rory repeated. "I could have sworn we were still out West." She felt a pang of longing – although Ohio still wasn't anywhere near Connecticut, it was a hell of a lot closer than Nevada, where she was pretty sure they'd been last week.

"What's the next stop?" Sonia called to the guy at the front of the bus.

"Pennsylvania," he replied. "The City of Brotherly Love." He smirked. The guy's name was Eric, if Rory remembered correctly. He was from New York and seemed to look down on anyone who was not a New Yorker, born and bred. Sonia rolled her eyes.

"Well, let's hope you find a brother to love there, Eric!" she called back snidely.

Rory patted her friend's shoulder. "That was surprisingly clever for how tired we all are," she said. Then she frowned. "Wait, so Philadelphia's the next stop?" she asked.

"Yes, Einstein!" Eric said without turning around.

"Shut up, Eric!" Sonia replied, shaking her head in frustration. "Yeah, apparently we're en route to Philly now, Gilmore. Can you handle the excitement?" She sighed again and closed her eyes. Rory was trying to figure out why the fact that they were on the way to Philly was making her feel so weird. She felt…nervous. But why? She furrowed her brow and forced her sluggish, sleep-deprived brain to think. Did she know anyone in Philadelphia? Then she sat straight up.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed.

"What?" Sonia asked sleepily. "I was just about to fall asleep and dream about something that has _nothing _to do with politics."

"Nothing," Rory said more quietly, and completely unconvincingly, but Sonia was too tired to investigate. _Jess. Jess lives in Philly. _Why did she feel anxious all of the sudden? _Because the last time you saw him, you broke his heart_, her subconscious informed her, and Rory slumped in her seat again. She knew it was true. Philly was a big city, though, right? What were the chances of them running into one another, really? She probably wasn't going to get to leave the hotel conference room anyhow. That was how it had been for the last…she didn't know _how_ many states and cities. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down, and before she knew it, her head was resting on Sonia's shoulder and she was fast asleep.

Rory dreamed about Logan, but that wasn't anything new. Ever since she had declined his proposal at her graduation, she couldn't stop thinking about him, wondering if she'd made a huge mistake by turning him down. Endless talks with Lorelai over the phone comforted her, but it wasn't the same as having her mom right there with her. Rory was pretty sure she was the only person on the campaign who called a member of her family every single day.

Logan was heavy on her subconscious, and she kept having the same dream about him. They'd be out to dinner, on a normal date, and everything would be fine. Then Logan would get down on one knee and propose to her, and everyone else in the restaurant would disappear. It was just her and Logan. And every time, Logan would stay down there while Rory was silent, unable to say a thing, no matter how hard she tried. She'd wake up from this dream confused and feeling more tired than she had when she fell asleep, and what was more, she would never be able to think about anything but Logan after waking. It was really interfering with her concentration.

Rory woke up and squinted. The bus' windows had shades, but the light still poured in from the front windshield. She glanced at her watch. 7:30 AM. Okay, that was a whole half an hour later than she usually slept. Good progress. She sighed and got up, stepping carefully over a still-sleeping Sonia.

"Hey, Joe," she whispered to the bus driver. Every other passenger was fast asleep. "How much longer till we're in Philly?"

"We're already in Philly, but it'll be about half an hour or so to the hotel," the friendly man replied. "You eager to get to your room?"

"Not really," Rory admitted. "The hotel beds are nothing compared to my bed at home." She thought wistfully of Stars Hollow.

Joe chuckled ruefully. "I hear that." Rory felt a guilty twinge as she realized that she never really thought about Joe's accommodations and how he had to stay awake while everyone around him got to sleep, no matter how fitful that sleep was. She promised herself to pick him up a sandwich and some coffee the next time she got the chance. When Rory made her way back to her seat, she saw that Sonia was awake.

"Hey," she said groggily. "What time is it?"

"A little past 7:30," Rory told her. "We'll be in Philly soon, according to Joe." She sat back down.

"I hope they give us an hour or two to get settled in," Sonia yawned. "I could really use a little more shut-eye. But then, what else is new?" Rory smiled. Much as everyone complained about the lack of sleep and the pitiful accommodations for the interns on the trail – Rory often daydreamed about how fantastic Senator Obama's hotel must be – every last one of them adored what they were doing and probably wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Suddenly, Rory realized that in the last fifteen minutes or so, she hadn't thought about Logan once, despite her dream. That wasn't much, but it was likely the most time she'd spent _not _thinking about him in the last three or four months.

She turned and lifted the shade slightly so she could see outside. They were chugging slowly down a busy, commuter-clogged street in the heart of Center City. To her surprise, Rory recognized where they were. Her heart sank a bit. This was just a block or two from Truncheon, if she remembered correctly. She really did feel terrible about how she'd left things with Jess. He had been so hopeful when they kissed, and she had to take his heart and smash it into tiny bits.

_"So…you fixed everything?" Jess asked. _

_Rory nodded happily. "Yeah, everything's fixed."_

_"I'm glad you're here," Jess told her softly, edging closer._

_"Yeah, me too," Rory said. And before she knew it, they were leaning together and their lips were meeting in a soft, sweet kiss. _God, I missed that, _she thought, before catching herself. _Logan._ She pulled back, pushing Jess' hands away. "I'm…sorry."_

_"About what?" Jess asked, confused. _

_"About coming here like this. I just got the flyer, and I don't know, I just wanted to see your place, but then…this." She watched Jess bite his lip and his eyes darken. "It's not fair to you," she continued. "I'm such a jerk."_

_"I don't know what you're talking about," Jess said, sounding angry. _

_Rory laughed, but it was without humor. "I couldn't even cheat on him the way he cheated on me."_

_Jess frowned. "Who? Who cheated on you?" he asked urgently. "That…guy?" She nodded, looking down. She couldn't bear to meet his gaze. "You're still with him," Jess said finally, the realization hitting him hard._

And she'd just kind of…left. Without taking the time to acknowledge what had just happened between them, just dismissing it, pushing it to the side, believing she still belonged with Logan. _Isn't that what you've been griping about nonstop for the past few months? _her subconscious asked suspiciously. _Whether or not Logan was right for you?_ It was, but, now things seemed somehow changed. Rory continued staring out the window. She still wasn't thinking about Logan. There was an entirely different person consuming her thoughts now.


	2. Always Say Yes

**A/N: I forgot to give credit to Amy for the stolen dialogue in last chapter. And the title of the story, which, I'm sure you know, is the title of a GG episode in season seven. So, credit! Jess and Rory are not mine; Sonia, Eric, and Tim are.**

**P.S. I know Philly, so I know I'm switching things around and certain places in this story aren't necessarily where they are in reality.**

A few hours later, all of the campaign's reporters were gathered in the Philadelphia Hilton's conference room. It was nicer than their usual accommodations, but rather than question the upgrade, Rory was just thankful for beds that didn't have dubious stains on the sheets.

"So, reporters," Tim, the campaign organizer, said, lifting his voice above all the chatter. "The higher-ups have decided that it's time for you to stop being observers and start being participants. In other words, for the next few days, instead of watching what others do and writing about it, you'll be working. And writing about it." Rory raised her eyebrows and glanced at Sonia, standing to her left. Eric raised his hand.

"Uh, what sort of work are we talking about here?" he asked, looking apprehensive.

Tim shifted his weight and smiled. "Mostly knocking on doors, interviewing people to find out whether they're registered to vote, who they're voting for and why, and whatever else you think would be interesting and informative."

Eric's shoulders slumped. "I thought that was the volunteers' job," he muttered.

Tim shrugged. "Hey, if you really want to be a journalist, you have to get down to the nitty-gritty." Rory nodded in agreement. Truthfully, she was kind of excited for this. Computer research was all well and good, but Christiane Amanpour didn't just do computer research. She went out into the thick of it and interviewed people.

Tim handed out guidelines to all of the reporters and started pairing them off to go knock on doors. Rory and Sonia were grouped together. "You guys take the Rittenhouse Square District. That's from 23rd all the way over to Broad. Think you can handle it?" Rory and Sonia nodded. Even if you weren't sure you could handle it, you always said yes. Rory learned that from Lorelai, who had to figure out how to make beds with hospital corners, light fires, wash and bleach towels, and any number of other tasks Emily never taught her, in order to work her way up from maid to owner of her own inn.

"I did not wear the right shoes for this," Sonia grumbled as they headed down Walnut Street.

"We can switch off, if you want," Rory suggested. "We're the same shoe size." Sonia brightened at the prospect of putting on Rory's more comfortable flats.

"This isn't so bad," Sonia commented an hour later as she and Rory walked away from their fifth door. So far nobody had slammed their door in their faces, as Rory had half-expected. Much of Philly was liberal and one man even shook their hands, thanking them for what they were doing.

"Not bad at all," Rory agreed, stepping up to the next door.

"I kind of can't believe Tim just sent us off on our own with no idea who's behind the doors, though," Sonia said as Rory knocked. She shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's the middle of the day and this doesn't look like a bad area – " she said as the door swung open. The man standing on the other side looked more surprised to see Rory than she was to see him, if that was possible. Sonia looked from face to face as her friend stood, frozen, with her knocking hand still raised in midair.

"Rory?" he said incredulously.

"I thought – I thought you lived above Truncheon," Rory replied weakly. Sonia slowly reached out and pulled her friend's arm down so she was no longer giving the guy an odd salute. Rory barely reacted to her touch.

"I did, but it started getting crowded, since both Matthew and Chris somehow got girlfriends, so…I moved," Jess said, shifting from foot to foot. "Hello," he said, tearing his gaze away from Rory to look at her companion. "I'm Jess," he said, sticking out his hand for Sonia to shake.

"Hi," she said, as slowly as someone could say a one-syllable word. Gears were beginning to turn and things were beginning to click in Sonia's mind. She was piecing together what little Rory had told her of her past boyfriends. She had mostly talked about Logan, but Jess had come up once or twice, and Sonia never forgot a name. She plastered a bright smile on her face. "I'm Sonia. Rory and I are knocking on doors for the campaign." She glanced at Rory, who was still standing stock still. "Are you registered to vote?" Sonia asked helplessly, unsure what else to say, since Rory wasn't helping. Jess smirked.

"Uh, yeah. Voting for Obama, don't worry. Couldn't bear the alternative; I'd have to move to Canada." He glanced back at Rory. "Rory?" he asked softly, shaking her shoulder a little as if waking her from sleep. "You okay?" She finally made eye contact with him again, and Sonia suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, like a voyeur.

"Rory, I'm going to move on," Sonia said, touching her side. "You'll catch up, right?" She waited for Rory to nod before turning away and knocking on the next door.

Jess just looked at Rory, still waiting for signs of life. A thought occurred to him, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his apartment. "You need coffee," he said firmly as he settled her into a chair. He backed away and pulled a bag of grounds out of a cabinet. Rory didn't see, but his hands trembled just slightly.

"Do you live alone?" Rory asked, startling Jess. She hadn't spoken in what seemed like hours, although it had only been a few minutes. He was used to a Rory who couldn't _stop _talking.

"Uh, yeah," Jess replied, cleaning up the grounds he'd spilled when Rory suddenly spoke. _What, can't you say anything more than one syllable? _he chided himself. "So. Working on the campaign, huh?" he asked aloud.

"Yes. I'm reporting for a political blog," she replied faintly. Jess flipped a switch on the coffeemaker and the comforting sound of the percolator filled the room. He sat down across from Rory, folding his arms on the dining table.

"That sounds like…fun," he said lamely.

Rory glanced up suddenly and made eye contact. "Jess, I'm sorry," she blurted out. He raised his eyebrows.

"For what?"

"For…what happened," she said, swallowing hard.

He looked away, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Are you still…" The question trailed off, unfinished, but Rory knew what he wanted to ask.

"No," she replied, holding up her left hand as proof. "He asked me to marry him. I said no." She cringed a little, the memory still painful to her. Jess stood abruptly and Rory almost thought he was going to…but no, he was just headed for the coffeemaker. He pulled out two mismatched mugs, poured the coffee, and handed Rory the bigger one.

"So how long are you around?" he asked, clutching the mug closely as if he was cold, even though it was mid-July.

Rory shrugged. "They never really tell us," she explained. "Usually we stay in one place for a couple of weeks, max. We were in Salt Lake City for a month, actually."

"Meet a lot of Mormons?" Jess asked, taking a sip of coffee. Rory couldn't help smiling.

"Yeah. Not a ton of Obama supporters out there." She looked down at her hands. She hadn't taken a sip yet.

"It's not poisoned, promise," Jess said, and Rory looked puzzled until he pointed at her mug.

"Oh," she laughed nervously, and took a demonstrative sip. "Nope, no poison," she confirmed. "So…" She swallowed hard. _If you can't ask the tough questions, then what kind of reporter are you? _she asked herself. "Do you have…a girlfriend? Or anything?" She glanced at his bare left hand. She couldn't believe they were at the age where they had to start checking for engagement or wedding rings. Jess shook his head slowly.

"I did, but we, uh, broke up," he said. Rory felt her chest constrict. _Well, what did you expect, that he was going to pine for you? _Her subconscious was a little too snide for her liking sometimes. "Maybe you should get back to knocking on doors," Jess said, and Rory looked up, the hurt showing in her eyes. "Not that I'm not happy to see you," he said, backpedaling. "I just don't want to keep you from your work." She relaxed a little, but he could still see how much his offhand statement had affected her. _Could she still…? No_, his own subconscious wondered.

Rory drained her coffee cup, oblivious to Jess' thoughts, and he stood up with her. He opened the door, but she hesitated. "Do you want to…grab dinner?" she asked. Jess couldn't deny the relief that flooded his veins.

"Sure," he said, as nonchalantly as he could. "I'll – call you? Same number?" Rory nodded and turned away to find Sonia.

Jess closed the door and immediately collapsed on the couch. _I need a cigarette_, he thought.


	3. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

**A/N: Kind of a short chapter, but I hope you like it.**

"So he asked you to marry him in front of your family and a bunch of virtual strangers at your Yale graduation celebration?" Jess asked, picking at the spaghetti in front of him. He and Rory were at a table in Jess' favorite local Italian restaurant. So far, to his and her relief, the awkwardness from earlier was gone. Rory seemed to want to give him an explanation, from her appearance at Truncheon right up to their run-in earlier that day. She nodded in answer to his question as she cut a ravioli into impossibly tiny pieces.

"What did your mom say?" Jess knew Lorelai couldn't have loved Logan, couldn't have seen him in Rory's future.

"He asked for her permission," Rory told him. Jess raised his eyebrows.

"How…quaint," he uttered, unable to hold back from saying anything impolite. To his relief, Rory laughed.

"It was kind of old-fashioned, but…nice, at the same time," she said, looking down at her plate. Jess felt a pang somewhere in the vicinity of his chest. She still loved the bastard. Anyone with eyes could see it. He cleared his throat and steeled himself for the answer to his next question.

"Why did you say no?" he asked quietly. She didn't look up.

"I just…I wasn't done with…life, yet," she replied. "I wanted to start my career, start working, start living out in the world. With Logan, I would have moved to California and…and I'd be a wife first, and a reporter second." Rory frowned and looked up to gage Jess' reaction. He kept his face neutral, but he knew what she was saying was true. He had seen it when he'd gone to her grandparents' house to give her his book. He had seen it when the three of them went out to dinner at Rich Man's Shoe. It had been like Rory had transformed into an automaton, someone who did exactly what others told her, letting them keep her in her place – nothing like the Rory he knew. But the real Rory peeked through when he showed her his book. That's how he knew there was still hope.

"Anyway," she sighed, picking up a piece of garlic bread and putting it back down, "my mom and I had plans to do this whole rollercoaster adventure thing, but then I got the call about the Obama campaign, and…the rest is history, as they say."

"I wish I could have been at your graduation," Jess said quietly. "Both of them." He held her gaze.

"It's okay," she mumbled, shrugging it off. The first awkward silence of the night suddenly hit, and Jess regretted what he'd said. How had he expected her to react to that, really? He felt like an idiot.

A waitress came to clear their plates. "Dessert?" she asked. Jess didn't even have to look at the menu.

"We'll share the tiramisu," he said. "Coffee for her too, please." The waitress nodded and left. Jess looked at Rory. "Oh – is that okay?" he asked, suddenly uncertain.

"That's perfect," Rory assured him, giving him a warm smile. Jess felt flooded with relief. So he hadn't screwed up completely. Not yet, anyway.

"So tell me about this rollercoaster adventure," he said, leaning back in his chair. Rory smiled again and launched into an explanation of her and Lorelai's ambition to ride every major rollercoaster across the country.

Half an hour later, the tiramisu plate held only crumbs. "That was the best tiramisu I've ever had," Rory gushed. "Oh, hang on, I have to get this," she said as her phone bleeped. "Hello? Sonia? What's up?" She paused for a moment, listening. Her brow furrowed. "What? Who is he? You met him when you knocked on his door?" Rory rolled her eyes at Jess. After another minute, she heaved a sigh, shaking her head, and said, "Okay, I'll work something out. It's fine. Sonia, it's fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." She put her phone back in her purse and stared at it.

"What's up?" Jess asked.

Rory was rubbing her temples now. "Nothing…just, Sonia – you met her earlier, remember? – she met some guy when she was knocking on doors without me and he called her just now, so she wants the hotel room empty, in case the date goes well."

Jess snorted. "Well, that's very considerate of her. Why did you agree, though? You could have said no."

Rory shrugged. "She's been my best friend over the past few months. We've shared the hotel rooms all along, so we have kind of an unspoken agreement about finding somewhere else to sleep if the other one wants the room to herself once in a while." She let out a puff of breath. "Usually it's Sonia wanting the room, though. Actually, it's always her." She raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Now I have to figure out where to stay tonight," she said, looking worried.

Jess cleared his throat. _Don't do it! _his subconscious screamed at him, but he wasn't about to let Rory sleep on a park bench, or worse. He didn't like to think where she might find a bed. "You could stay with me," he suggested, shifting in his chair. Rory looked at him, surprise written all over her face.

"Really?" she said cautiously.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm probably the only person you know here, right? Besides the people in your group. And I'm willing to bet my couch is a lot more comfortable than a hotel room floor in somebody else's room." He stood and threw enough cash to cover their meals and the tip on the table. "You in?" he asked, smiling down at Rory. _It will be fine_, he told himself. _She will sleep on the couch and leave in the morning. No muss, no fuss._

She nodded. "Um, okay, thanks, Jess." She stood up.

He almost reached out and grabbed her hand – _old habits die hard, I guess_, he thought ruefully – but instead shoved it in his pocket and simply led the way out of the restaurant.


	4. Warm Bodies

Rory and Jess ambled down Walnut Street in comfortable silence. The restaurant was only a block or two away from his apartment.

"Jess?" someone said, and Rory squinted until she saw a figure sitting on the stoop outside the building. It stood up and she recognized Matthew. He looked disheveled and barely acknowledged Rory.

"What is it this time, Matthew?" Jess asked, sounding tired.

"She kicked me out again," he said forlornly, looking down at the ground.

Jess sighed. "He does this once every couple weeks. Picks a fight with his girlfriend so he doesn't have to share a bed with her for one night," he muttered to Rory.

Matthew looked up. "That is _not _what I do!" he protested. "She's crazy! All women are crazy! No offense…uh, what's your name? You look familiar," he said, cocking his head at Rory.

"That's Rory. And she has dibs on the couch."

Matthew wilted. He put on a sad-puppy expression.

"You _know _that's not gonna work on me," Jess warned. Matthew only exaggerated his expression, looking more pathetic and pitiable by the second. Rory nudged Jess with her elbow.

"Hey, you know, I'll be fine," she whispered. "Let Matthew stay here."

Jess shook his head. "No way. I happen to care if you get murdered. Matthew here, on the other hand…"

"Real nice, man," Matthew whimpered, wrapping his arms around himself like he was cold, even though it was easily 80 degrees out. Jess glanced from face to face, looking torn. He grabbed Rory's arm and pulled her a few feet away.

"Hey," he said quietly, "okay, this is not how I pictured this going, but I don't have a sleeping bag or anything, so one of you has to take the couch…and the other has to share the bed. With me," he clarified. He swallowed hard and looked at Rory. "I'm not letting you sleep anywhere else," he added, a bit of his uber-protective uncle coming out.

Rory chewed on her lip meditatively. "Um…well…I guess…the bed is okay," she said, the last four words coming out in a jumble in her rush to say them. Jess nodded, his facial expression completely neutral.

"Okay," he said. "Matthew, you are one lucky dude. The couch is yours. But you have Rory to thank for giving it up." He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

"_Thank you_, kind miss," Matthew said with a flourish, seeming to gain some of his swagger back. "And if you decide, later tonight, that you'd like to _share _said couch – " Jess shot him a warning look and Matthew shut his mouth, but grinned sidelong at Rory, who chuckled nervously. Her stomach was doing backflips. Lorelai's voice popped into her head: 'Your boyfriend snores, by the way,' it said. Rory groaned internally. Lorelai would know better than she would. She had actually spent the night at Luke's apartment, whereas Rory…well, she hadn't spent the night with anyone…not since Logan. She flinched.

Jess reached out and touched her on the shoulder. "You coming in?" he asked.

She shook herself and forced a smile onto her face. "Yeah, of course." She followed him inside and he led her to the bedroom. She relaxed a little when she saw that, rather than the single bed she'd anticipated, Jess had a nice big full bed – plenty of room for two people to share without having to touch.

He pulled a blanket and a pillow out of the closet and tossed her a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Sorry, I don't tend to keep girls' pajamas on hand," he smirked.

"These are fine."

"Bathroom's right across the hall," Jess said, pointing. Rory nodded her thanks and went inside to change. The walls were thin and Rory could hear every word of Jess and Matthew's conversation.

"Here's your blanket."

"Thanks, man, you know, I _really _appreciate this."

"Yeah, whatever."

"So…who is she? She looks really familiar…"

"Will you keep your voice down? She's…a friend. She came to the open house."

"Oh, _her_. I remember now. She's the one who you – "

"Hey! Shut up," Jess hissed. "She just broke up with her boyfriend – almost fiancé, according to her – and…it's not like she wants me anyhow." He barely whispered the last bit, but by this point, Rory was changed into Jess' sweats and shamelessly had her ear pressed against the wall.

"Didn't look that way to me," Matthew said in a singsong voice.

"Just try not to be disgusting while she's here," Jess said, and Rory heard an _oof! _like Matthew had taken a blow to the stomach. She cautiously opened the bathroom door and padded into the hall.

"Um. All set," she called to Jess, unsure of the protocol when one was spending the night in the same bed as one's ex-boyfriend. Matthew was still holding his abdomen and grimacing.

"Have a good time – I mean, sleep!" he called, and Jess held up a fist threateningly, making Matthew back off.

Jess led the way back into his room and shut the door. "Matthew might welcome himself into the room otherwise," he explained.

"We wouldn't want that," Rory said, laughing a little and trying not to show how nervous she was.

"So…what side do you normally sleep on?" Jess asked, gesturing towards the surprisingly neatly-made bed. His eyes darted around the room, trying not to focus on how cute and tiny she looked in his clothes.

"Uh. I guess it doesn't matter," Rory shrugged, still hanging tightly to her clothes.

Jess tugged on them until she let go and placed them on his desk. "Well, I kind of move all over the place," he said, pulling his t-shirt over his head. Rory's eyes widened and she tried to look anywhere but at Jess' naked torso. "So…I'll take right, you take left?" he continued. Rory nodded, pretending to be very interested in the ceiling tiles.

They got into bed on their assigned sides, Rory's eyes flicking from Jess' chest and back to the blankets covering their legs, trying to ignore the warmth blooming in her abdomen. "Uh, good night," she said sweetly, making Jess smile.

"Night, Rory," he said, turning so they were facing away from each other. He figured that was the way she'd be most comfortable. "Sweet dreams," he added.

Rory didn't reply. She was biting her lip and staring determinedly at the wall opposite her, all too aware of the warm body behind her. She didn't anticipate getting much rest tonight.


	5. Compromising Positions

Rory slept surprisingly well, considering her anxiety about sharing a bed with Jess. His mattress was cushiony and seemed to cradle her body, unlike the hard, cheap mattresses she was used to. His sheets were light cotton, perfect for the warm weather. _When did Jess become such a homemaker? _she wondered dreamily, still half-asleep. _Oh right. The girlfriend. _Rory heaved a sigh, her chest expanding with oxygen and then deflating, and that was when she noticed Jess' hand. She froze, her eyelids flying open.

She could feel Jess' body pressed up against her back, spooning her. His left arm was draped over her side and his hand…well, his hand was cupping something it really shouldn't have been cupping. Rory squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, praying it was a dream, but she glanced down again and his hand was clearly still there. He was snoring lightly, every exhale making strands of her hair flutter. Synapses in her brain crackled and her mouth went dry with panic. Her heart started fluttering madly. She prayed he couldn't feel it beating.

_How the hell do I get out of this without waking him up? _Rory thought frantically. She was fully alert now and her brain was working overtime trying to come up with a solution, but she couldn't imagine any scenario in which Jess _didn't _wake up to discover that he'd been holding her breast for who knew how long. To make matters even worse, it wasn't even over her t-shirt. Rory's head started to hurt with her confusion. Had he waited for her to fall asleep to cop a feel? That didn't seem like Jess, at least not anymore. But how did he possess the nocturnal dexterity to not only grope her, but slip his hand _inside_ her clothes to do said groping?

_I need coffee_, she groaned internally. She could almost smell it. Her nose twitched. She couldn't help but take a shallow inhale. There was _definitely _coffee brewing somewhere in the vicinity. Jess shifted. She held her breath as his hand lazily slid away from her chest and trailed down her side; he eventually turned to face the other way. Rory heaved a deep sigh of relief and tugged her shirt back into place. Her movements were slow as she cautiously left the warm bed, glancing over her shoulder every other second to make sure Jess hadn't woken up. She tiptoed to the door and closed it gently behind her, resisting the urge to lean back against it in relief.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

Rory jumped, her hand flying to her chest. "Oh, Matthew, I forgot you were here," she said, her heart beating sixty miles a minute. "You scared me."

"Did you think the coffee made itself?" he asked, cocking his head at her and grinning. "I know you smelled it."

Rory moved away from Jess' door and slipped past Matthew into the kitchen. "No, I just – wait, how do you know that's why I'm awake?" she asked, frowning at him.

"I didn't until just now," he shrugged, taking a hearty sip from his mug. "But Jess told me you were a caffeine junkie, so I just figured." Rory blushed at the mention of Jess' name.

"He told you that?" she mumbled, just to have something to say. She gazed at the cabinets, trying to guess which one held the mugs. Matthew leaned across her and popped the correct one open for her.

"He told me a lot about you, but I didn't know you were _you _until I saw the way he was looking at you." Still grinning, Matthew took another lazy sip of his coffee while Rory panicked.

"Looking at me how?" she asked, turning to face the coffeemaker. She watched her hand shake as she poured herself a cup of liquid magic.

"I probably shouldn't say anything else," Matt demurred, backing away into the living room.

"Hey, no, I – " Rory objected, but was cut off suddenly when Jess emerged from his room, stretching and yawning.

"Hey, you didn't leave yet," he said, smiling crookedly at Rory. Her heart jumped into her throat.

"Uh, nope," she said, looking down at her coffee cup as if it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

"Matthew got you coffee already?" he asked from behind her, making her start. It was as if his bare skin was radiating heat, even though she knew that had to be her imagination. She crept sideways so as to avoid touching him.

"Uh, yup."

"You're about as articulate as Luke in the morning, huh?"

Rory blinked.

"Okay…well, do you want any breakfast before you go? I assume you have important campaign duties to take care of today," he continued, pulling a loaf of bread down from on top of the fridge. "I'm making French toast," he added with a smile.

_Does he know that I woke up to find his hand…ugh, no, of course not_, Rory thought.

"French toast…would be great, thanks," she said, plastering a fake smile on her face. Jess gave her an odd look, but didn't push her. She shakily found her way to the couch, plucking at the loose material of Jess' sweatshirt. "Oh, I should get changed," she announced, standing up almost as soon as she sat down.

"Do you want a shower?" Jess questioned from the kitchen. Matthew seemed entranced, looking from face to face almost like he was watching a tennis match.

"Oh, I, uh, I mean, I didn't bring anything to take a shower with," Rory fumbled.

"There's soap. I'm not a heathen," Jess said jokingly, focusing his attention on the bread soaking in egg.

"Oh, of course, I didn't mean to imply you weren't…clean…um…" Jess looked up to stare at her. "I'll just go shower," she mumbled, draining her coffee cup and handing it absently to Matthew.

"Towels under the sink," Jess called after her.

"Is she always that weird?" Matthew asked. Rory closed the bathroom door quickly so she wouldn't hear Jess' reply.

**A/N: I think there's another story on here that has Rory and Jess waking up in a similarly compromising situation. I can't figure out which it is, but I hope the author is okay that my story has a similar scene. Great minds think alike! ;)**


	6. French Toast and Memories

**A/N: In case anybody's wondering, I picture Sonia as Anna Kendrick. I find it's easier to write original characters if you have an image to work with. But I don't own Rory, Jess, or Matthew!**

After her shower, Rory neatly laid Jess' sweats on the back of the toilet. She yanked yesterday's outfit back on and twisted her wet hair into a bun. She listened carefully to see if Matthew and Jess were still talking about her, but all she heard was the TV.

"I'm just about ready to go," she said as she walked back into the living room.

"Have some breakfast," Jess urged from the kitchen table, indicating the open third chair. Rory almost declined in her eagerness to get back to the hotel, but then her stomach rumbled. Loudly. Jess glanced from her midsection back up to her face and grinned. "See, you're hungry. My French toast isn't as good as Luke's, but it's a close second. Come on."

"S'great," Matthew mumbled around his mouthful of food.

"Okay," Rory gave in, sitting down at the cramped little table. Her knee brushed Jess' but she pretended to ignore it. She took an unusually large bite, even for a Gilmore. "Ish rully good," she choked out, the toast nearly melting in her mouth. She swallowed hard. "Is that real maple syrup?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way. We buy the real shit even when it's $15," Matthew said, sticking a finger in the leftover syrup on his plate and licking it.

"Can you be a little less disgusting, please?" Jess said. "We have company."

"Oh, Rory doesn't care," Matthew said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Ish true, I don'," Rory confirmed, her mouth full of toast again. She was hungrier than she'd realized. She shot a longing look towards the coffeemaker and Jess stood up and grabbed her a fresh cup. The ordinary action reminded her of a younger Jess, helping Luke out at the diner. The time he'd handed her an umbrella because the ceiling was falling down. The endless chorus of "_hi_s" when their relationship was just beginning. All the extra cups of coffee he snuck her when Luke wasn't looking. The things they'd done upstairs in the apartment, when no one else was around…Rory's stomach did a backflip. She stopped eating. "I…I should really go," she said, avoiding eye contact with Jess. "Thanks for breakfast. Nice to see you again, Matthew." Matthew waved unconcernedly, too absorbed in attacking his food.

Jess jumped up and opened the door for her. "It was good to see you, Rory," he said softly, gazing at her.

She slung her purse over her shoulder. "You too," she said, not meeting his eyes. He would never know what he'd been doing when she woke up. Why did that make her feel…a little sad?

"Bye, Rory!" Matthew yelled from the table. She glanced at him and he held his hand up to his ear in a 'call me' gesture. Rory giggled and glanced at Jess before turning to find the hotel.

"Bye," he said quietly as she walked away. He closed the door.

/

On the fifth floor of the hotel, Rory knocked lightly on number 503. "Sonia?" she called. The door burst open, making Rory jump back in surprise.

"How was it?" Sonia asked, a giant grin on her face.

Rory frowned. "How was…what?"

Sonia placed her hands on her hips. "The sex," she hissed. "Duh! What else would I be talking about?"

Rory's mouth popped open, but no words came out.

"That good, huh?" Sonia said smugly, pulling her friend inside. Rory gazed around the room. It was messy, as usual, but there were no signs that anyone had slept there but Sonia.

"The guy didn't work out, I assume?" Rory asked, ignoring Sonia's incomprehensible question.

"What guy?"

Rory stared at Sonia. "The guy you kicked me out to spend the night with," she said.

Sonia rolled her eyes. "Oh, Rory. You're so gullible. There _was _no guy. I just thought you might want to hang out with Jess some more, but I know how shy you are, and you'd never do it without more of a reason, so – "

"So there _wasn't _a guy?" Rory yelped. "I could have stayed _here _last night instead of – " She broke off.

"Instead of what, instead of what?" Sonia asked eagerly, hopping onto her bed and crossing her legs. Rory unloaded her purse onto the desk and unwound her bun.

"Instead of waking up to Jess' hand on my boob," she mumbled, looking at the mirror.

"Well, that's a pretty normal way to wake up when you had sex the night before," Sonia said, shrugging. "I don't see what the problem is."

"We didn't have sex!" Rory hissed, whirling around. "I was supposed to sleep on the couch, but then Jess' friend showed up and he wanted the couch, and Jess didn't have a sleeping bag and wouldn't let me sleep with a murderer so there was only his bed – "

"Slow down!" Sonia said, holding her palm out. "I need to keep up and I don't process as fast as you talk."

Rory took a deep breath. "We slept in the same bed, but it was just platonic. Until I woke up this morning, and he was still asleep, but I guess sometime during the night he moved over, so he was…"

"Spooning you?" Sonia said knowingly.

Rory nodded. "Yeah."

"But you didn't have sex?" she asked, looking disappointed.

"No! I mean, he's my ex-boyfriend. And he has a girlfriend…er, or _had _a girlfriend. Anyway, he wouldn't be interested. _Isn't _interested."

Sonia just stared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing!" she said in a high-pitched voice, rolling her eyes. "You're gonna see him again before we move on, though, mark my words."

"I doubt it," Rory muttered, ignoring the pang of sadness she felt. Sonia shrugged and looked at the alarm clock between the beds.

"We have to get going," she said, standing up and grabbing clothes out of her open suitcase. "Reporter meeting downstairs in ten minutes."

Rory nodded, brushing her hair out and applying a dab or two of makeup. "I'll meet you down there," she said, picking her purse back up and walking to the elevator on shaky legs. How on earth was she going to concentrate on the campaign today?


	7. Dog Days

**A/N: The bar Sonia and Rory go to is a real place in Philadelphia. I do not own it or have anything to do with it, nor do I own Rory, Jess, Matthew, or Lorelai. Or Paul Anka, either the real one or the dog version. Or Barack Obama. I also stole a line from Amy.**

After another long day of knocking on doors and saying the same thing every time someone answered – "Hello, we're working for the campaign to elect Barack Obama. Are you registered to vote?" – Rory and Sonia trudged back in the direction of the hotel.

"I need a drink," Sonia griped, dragging her feet on the sidewalk. A man that reminded Rory of Taylor, only beardless, darted around her, shooting an annoyed look at the slow-moving girls.

"Agreed," Rory said tiredly.

"Okay, let's go!" Sonia immediately perked up at the prospect of a decent gin and tonic. She grabbed Rory's hand and dragged her into the next bar they passed, something called The Good Dog Bar. Rory half-smiled, thinking of Lorelai and how she would love to come here, especially if she could bring their own good (albeit strange) dog, Paul Anka. Sonia strode directly up to the bar, where the guy behind the counter gave her service right away. "A gin and tonic and a…what do you want, Rory?" she asked.

"Vodka soda," Rory requested. "With lemon, please." The bartender nodded and set to making their drinks while the girls sat down on two stools.

"It feels so good just to _sit_," said Sonia, resting her chin in her hands and smiling at the bartender, who grinned back. Rory shook her head. Her friend had quite a way with (male) waiters, baristas, and bartenders. The female ones always hated her, though. "Do you want to share cheese fries?" she asked, cocking her head at Rory.

"Is that even a question?" she replied.

Sonia nodded and slapped her hand on the bar. "Cheese fries, please, my friend!" she said to the bartender, who set their drinks before them on little dog-shaped coasters.

"Oh, these are so cute!" Rory cooed, picking her Yorkie-shaped one up and admiring it.

"So," Sonia said firmly. Rory looked up from the coaster. "I think we need to talk more about the J-word."

"Oh, not more about Jesus. I'm sick of him and Mel Gibson."

Sonia gave her a weird look. "That reference is so 2004. You do realize it's 2008 now, right?" Rory just sighed. Her mother would have laughed anyway. "I mean Jess, obviously," Sonia continued, gulping down the remainder of her G&T. The bartender instantly set another in front of her and she winked at him. "What's the deal with you guys? Tell me the whole story, and don't you dare leave anything out."

Rory took a careful sip of her drink and squeezed some lemon into it. "Well, back when I was seventeen, we had Jess and his uncle over for dinner, and Jess stole one of my books…." she began, and they sat at the bar for an hour and two more gin and tonics, one more vodka soda, until she was done telling Sonia nearly everything about Jess and their history. She'd led up to the part where she went to Philadelphia for Truncheon's open house, but left out the fact that they'd kissed and Rory broke his heart. Her cheeks burned as she thought about that moment again.

"You know what I think you should do?" Sonia asked, pointing a cheese-soaked fry at Rory. "I think you should go see him again. You guys have such a history! And I think you knocked on his door yesterday for a reason. Fate is real, you know." The bartender nodded in agreement. He was technically off his shift, but he'd been listening to Rory and Sonia's conversation for about half an hour, occasionally chiming in with his own opinions. Rory wasn't sure if he was pretending to be interested because he wanted to hook up with Sonia, or if he was genuinely intrigued by her sad little love life. It was probably the former.

"I'm not sure I believe in fate," Rory muttered, but she looked into her empty glass thoughtfully.

"Trust me, I saw the look on his face when we showed up on his doorstep," Sonia said tipsily. "He _wants _you. He wants to see you again. Mark. My. Words," she said, punctuating every word with a poke to Rory's shoulder.

"Come on, drunky, let's head back," Rory chuckled, trying not to believe what Sonia was saying. She stood up, holding onto the counter so she wouldn't fall over. She'd only had two drinks, but it had been so long since she'd had alcohol that it had gone straight to her head.

"Bye, Jerry! Text me!" Sonia called to the bartender. He waved at them.

"Good luck, Rory!" he said. Rory smiled in thanks. As they tumbled out onto the sidewalk, her phone started ringing. She pulled it out clumsily and squinted at the caller ID. She could make out an L.

"Lane?" she guessed.

"Ace, it's me."

"…_Logan_?"

**A/N: To be continued! I'm sorry I'm bringing Logan into one of my stories again. I dislike him as much as you probably do. If Dean or Logan ever makes an appearance in my stories, it's only so I can mess with them, I swear.**


	8. Ghosts That We Knew

_"Ace, it's me."_

_"…Logan?"_

"How are you?" he asked, as if he called her every day. Sonia was staring at Rory, surprise written all over her face. People shoved past them into the bar, and Rory grabbed Sonia's hand and pulled her over to the alleyway so she could hear Logan better.

"I'm…fine. I'm on the campaign. Why did you call?" Rory's heart was beating in double-time. She'd never expected Logan to call her ever again after she gave the ring back. For the first couple of weeks without him, she'd hoped, she'd prayed, but she knew in her heart that she'd never see or speak to him again. Or so she thought.

"What, a guy can't call his ex-girlfriend out of the blue on a Thursday night?" He paused. "Are you drunk?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "I had a couple of drinks. Why did you call, Logan?"

"Where are you?"

"Philadelphia. Why. Did. You. Call?" Rory was starting to get frustrated. Her initial leap of euphoria when she realized who was on the other end was quickly dampened, and everything Logan had ever done to her was running through her head. Thanksgiving, when she discovered that Logan thought they were broken up. The way she felt when she found out he'd slept with almost all of Honor's friends. The sneer on his face when he read her article about the pre-launch party. When he told Lucy about her and Marty's previous friendship. And the way he'd treated Jess, like a bug he'd found on the bottom of his Gucci loafer. She was suddenly seething.

"I miss you, Ace," Logan slurred, and Rory realized that he was drunk too. Well, drunker than she was, actually. She was feeling more and more sober by the second. She glanced at Sonia, who was frowning sympathetically.

Rory sighed. "Logan, you really shouldn't be calling me." She looked down at the dirty sidewalk and chewed on her lip. She could not, for the life of her, remember why she had ever even considered getting into a relationship with Logan, let alone _marrying _him. She thought of the moment in her apartment when she sat down on a box of books and tried on the engagement ring, which had probably been worth more than Lorelai's house, Sookie and Jackson's house, and Luke's entire business combined. She felt a pang. She _really _missed Stars Hollow. Being with Jess had been like having a little piece of home back.

"Why not?" Logan asked, sounding like he was getting angry. She hated angry, drunk Logan. "Do you have another boyfriend already? Jack, maybe?"

Rory's eyes narrowed. "His name is Jess, not Jack. And as a matter of fact…" She was breathing heavily. She glanced at Sonia. "As a matter of fact, I just saw him yesterday. And I spent the night in his apartment." She stood up straighter, proud. She wasn't even lying. But she knew exactly how Logan would interpret her words. And she was right. Silence greeted her on the other end of the line, and then her phone dropped the call. "He hung up," Rory informed Sonia as she tucked the phone away in her purse.

"Wow," the other girl said. "That was intense." She wrapped an arm around Rory's shoulders and guided her back towards their hotel. "I thought – " Sonia said hesitantly, glancing at Rory. "I thought you wanted Logan to call you."

"I thought I did too," Rory said, feeling more exhausted than she had when they'd entered the bar. They walked on in silence.

Sonia said nothing else until they were back in their hotel room, both collapsed on their respective beds. Then: "Why did you use Jess as an excuse to stop talking to Logan?" Rory's eyes darted over to Sonia, then refocused on the ceiling.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Yes, you do," the other girl said simply.

Rory knew it was true. "I think I'll call Jess tomorrow morning," Rory said, albeit uncertainly.

"Once more, with feeling?" Sonia encouraged.

"I'll call Jess tomorrow morning," she repeated, stronger this time. She smiled.

**A/N: Haha...oh, I'm so mean to Logan. Does Rory seem too OOC in this chapter? I feel like she would have gotten over Logan rather quickly post-series and come to her senses, even without seeing Jess again. Let me know what you think in that little box right down there. :)**


	9. Fire on 18th and Walnut

Early the next morning, Rory knocked on Jess' door again, feeling a faint sense of déjà vu. At least she knew who was going to be on the other side of the door this time. True to her word (but not without prodding from Sonia), she'd called him as soon as she woke up, even though it was 7 A.M. She suspected that, like his uncle, Jess was an early riser, and she'd been right. He'd sounded surprised to hear from her, but her nervous heart picked up on an undercurrent of pleasure in his voice. She'd claimed to be jonesing for that amazing French toast, and he swallowed her lie and told her to come over whenever she was ready.

Rory heard the lock click and her breath caught in her throat. All her life, she'd always been prepared – _over_-prepared, if you asked her mother – for absolutely everything. Disregarding the months she'd been taken over by a pod person – also Lorelai's term – Rory Gilmore was always ready for anything life threw at her. Tests at school, interviews with potential employers, she even went so far as to rehearse her conversation with the barista when she had a particularly complicated coffee order in mind. But she was halfway to Jess' before she realized that she had no plan in place. She was winging it.

"Hi, Rory!" Matthew crowed as he swung the door wide. "I knew you'd be back! No one can stay away from Jess Mariano's famous French toast." He winked. Rory smiled in return, but she automatically craned her head around him, trying to catch a glimpse of Jess. "He's not here," Matthew said apologetically.

"What?" Rory said, shock snapping her gaze back to Matthew, who shrugged.

"We were out of eggs. He'll be right back. Market's just around the corner." Rory relaxed, a soft smile curving onto her face. She was pretty sure Jess knew she wasn't here for the French toast, but keeping up the pretense was a nice idea, anyway. "Come in!" Matthew said, hurrying to sweep her inside. "So. Are you here for what I _think _you're here for? Should I leave now, walk around the block a few dozen times?" Matthew asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Rory.

"Uh…" That whole 'winging it' thing wasn't working out so well so far. Luckily, before Rory could give what would surely be a thinly-veiled attempt at lying to Matthew, the door opened again and Jess walked in.

"Hey!" he said, a wide grin spreading across his face. Always anticipating his old scowl, Rory still wasn't used to that. She gave a small smile in return. "Couldn't resist the lure of a good breakfast, huh?" he asked, looking away and unpacking a few things from the grocery bag in his arms.

"Yeah, a good breakfast," Rory agreed, trying not to look at Matthew, who was smiling knowingly.

"Well," he said, "I know when I'm not wanted." Jess snorted at this, but Matthew ignored him. "I'm going out for a walk."

"Why don't you go _home_?" Jess asked, giving him a pointed look. "You know, where you _live_? And pay rent?"

Matthew heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Patricia still hasn't forgiven me. But maybe if I bring her a peace offering, it'll smooth the way so I don't have to beg as much." He reached over and plucked a bottle of wine out of the bag on the kitchen counter. "See ya later, Rory," he said, winking again. The door slammed shut behind him and suddenly, she and Jess were alone. Rory tried not to think about what had happened the _last _time they'd been alone, truly alone, in Truncheon. Silence stretched on as Jess dredged the bread in the egg mixture and set it in the pan to sizzle. Rory swallowed multiple times, wishing she had a cup of coffee in front of her to settle her nerves. As if by magic, one materialized in front of her.

"Thank you," she said faintly, glancing up at Jess. He nodded and looked at her for a moment before turning back to the stove.

"So why are you really here, Rory?" he asked, frowning down at the pan.

A million different responses flitted through Rory's head. She plucked up her courage and opted for the truthful one. "I missed you," she said softly. Jess didn't look at her, but she could see a muscle in his jaw jumping as he ground his teeth.

"You can't say stuff like that to me," he replied, just as quietly.

Rory frowned in confusion. "Why not?"

"You can't just materialize back into my life and act like you want me again, only to leave and then pop up again at some undisclosed time and place!" Jess exclaimed, slamming his hands on the counter. Rory jumped, her hands clasping the mug tighter. He turned and stared at her, shaking his head. "You're not allowed to do that again. You can't keep leaving."

Rory's mouth popped open. "Me? _I _can't keep leaving? What about you, Mr. I'll-Just-Sneak-Back-Into-Stars-Hollow-and-Sleep-i n-My-Car? And California! And Yale!" Her voice broke. She hadn't meant to yell.

"Goddammit, Rory, why do we always do this?" Jess asked, stomping over to her. "And it's not just me! _You _ran away when I said I love you. _You _said 'no' when I wanted you to come to New York with me. You – " He clamped his mouth shut, cutting himself off, and rubbed a hand roughly across his jaw.

Rory looked up at him, her hands trembling. "You mean _loved_," she said.

Jess turned his head towards her. "What?"

"You mean you _loved _me. Past-tense. You said _love_," she whispered. "Present-tense."

"I meant exactly what I said," Jess said huskily, a touch of danger underlining his words. He reached down and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, hesitating. Rory swallowed and raised her eyes to meet his gaze. Her chair almost tipped over as Jess' mouth crushed against hers in a dizzying kiss. She slipped her hands around his back, grabbing hold of his t-shirt to steady herself. Her mouth opened to gasp for air and he slipped his tongue inside to tangle with her own, steadying himself on the back of the chair. For once Rory stopped thinking and simply felt: the heat emanating from his skin. The softness of his lips, contrasted with the stubble spread across his face. The way he smelled, simple and clean and fresh, like he'd just stepped out of the shower. And…burned toast? Rory sniffed again and her eyes flew open.

"Jess! Jess, the stove!" she said urgently, pushing him away from her.

"What…the…" Jess said, dazed, before he caught sight of the stovetop, which was smoking. "Oh shit!" he cursed, nimbly sidestepping to the kitchen to wet a dishcloth and throw it over the burgeoning fire. He grabbed another rag and waved it in the air, trying to dissipate the smoke before it set off any alarms. As soon as it was clear that they weren't going to die in a breakfast-related blaze, Rory started giggling.

"I guess our passion really can set the world on fire," she said, the line sounding more like Lorelai than herself. Jess huffed out a laugh, but he looked somber.

"So, breakfast is ruined," he pointed out unnecessarily. "Do you want to go out for breakfast? I know a good place a couple blocks over."

Rory felt her heartbeat speed up. "I'm not really hungry."

"You're lying," Jess accused. He knew her too well.

Rory stood up. "I am lying," she acknowledged. "But I want something else more." She bit her lip at her boldness, fearful that somehow, the kiss had been a mistake, a fluke, a one-time thing. Jess looked at her hungrily through his dark lashes, making her stomach flip over.


	10. Keep Thinking What You're Thinking

_Rory stood up. "I am lying," she acknowledged. "But I want something else more." She bit her lip at her boldness, fearful that somehow, the kiss had been a mistake, a fluke, a one-time thing. Jess looked at her hungrily through his dark lashes, making her stomach flip over._

This time, he grasped her shoulders and walked her backwards until the backs of her knees hit the couch, forcing her to sit. A little thrill shot through her center as Jess crawled on top of her, spreading his legs to either side of her. If possible, their third kiss within the Philadelphia city limits was even better than the second. It felt so good and so natural that Rory was flabbergasted as to why they hadn't been doing it their whole lives.

But somehow, these kisses were also so different from anything they'd ever had while actually together. She had always worried that Dean or Luke or Miss Patty or her mom was going to come around the corner or burst through the door and find them (and on a couple of occasions, they had). It had always felt…a little bit wrong. But she couldn't say that now. Jess grazed her bottom lip with his teeth, making her shiver despite the humidity, and gently sucked her tongue into his mouth. In return, she eagerly slid her hands up inside his t-shirt and pulled him to her, ensuring he couldn't back away. A sudden giggle burst out of her as he traced the outline of her bra and massaged her left breast.

"I'm sorry, I fail to see the humor in this situation, but maybe you can enlighten me," Jess said, leaning back slightly and breathing heavily.

Rory closed her eyes and grinned, shaking her head. "When I woke up yesterday morning, um…your hand was in pretty much the same place it is now," she revealed.

Jess' eyes widened. "You mean I was…"

She nodded. "Except…it was under," she clarified, taking hold of his hand and showing him exactly where it had been. He hummed in the back of his throat.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I guess I must have rolled over in my sleep and – " Rory shushed him with a kiss.

"It's okay," she laughed. "I didn't mind." Her face flushed at the admission and Jess gave her that half-smile that made her weak in the knees.

"In that case…" he said, recapturing her lips and sliding his right hand to the other side. Excitement thrummed in her chest, but she gently pushed his hands away before he could unclasp her bra. "We can't…" she mumbled. Jess stopped what he was doing and pulled back, looking down. "I have to go," Rory explained, biting her lip. "I don't _want _to go," she clarified, ducking her head so she could make eye contact with him. "We're supposed to gather for a meeting to talk about what it was like to knock on doors."

Jess snorted. "They can't handle that without you?" he wheedled, playing with her hair. He was still on top of her, making it extremely difficult for her to think straight.

"I could get fired," she said, caressing the side of his face. "I can come back later…"

"Come back later," Jess encouraged, reluctantly unfolding himself and letting her up.

Rory paused at the door. "And Jess…I promise I'm coming back." He smiled and gave her a last kiss.

"Keep thinking what you're thinking," he said, smirking.

"I don't have a choice," Rory shrugged, grinning at their little inside joke.

/

Rory tried valiantly to keep her attention on the meeting they were having, since she really did find it very interesting, but her mind kept wandering back to that apartment on 18th and Walnut. She'd been a moment or two late to the meeting and Sonia had tried to get her to spill the details, but Rory just shushed her and trained her eyes on Tim, who was speaking at the front of the room.

"So, we're winding down here, folks," he was saying. "One, maybe two more days in Philly and we're off to the next location. Politics never sleep." He grinned at his own joke, but no one laughed. "Okay, you must be too tired to laugh; I get it," he said, and a couple of reporters forced a chuckle or two. Rory wasn't one of them. Her face had gone pale. They'd only been here a few days and they were leaving already? Disappointment was written all over her face, and her hand shot up in the air. "Rory, question?" Tim said, glancing at her.

"Where are we headed next?" she asked, hopeful that it was somewhere nearby.

"Next up is Boston," Tim announced. "Then Maine, then we're trailing back down the East Coast. Last stop is Austin, Texas." Rory visibly wilted, and Tim, misunderstanding, tried to console her. "Austin!" he repeated excitedly. "They have a great nightlife scene. And food trucks!" He patted his generous stomach. Rory forced a smile on her face until Tim looked away to answer another reporter's question.

"Are you okay?" Sonia whispered, squeezing her hand. Rory nodded, trying to squash down the sudden misery that had taken hold in the back of her throat. She'd known that they would leave Philadelphia eventually, of course – it was the nature of the campaign. It had to move. But couldn't they just…stay an extra day or two? Had they knocked on every single door Philly had to offer? After the meeting was over, Rory slipped out of the conference room and dialed Lorelai's number.

"Mom?"

"Oh my god, Rory?!" her mother's voice sang into the phone. "I haven't heard from you in a week!"

"I'm sorry," Rory apologized, tucking one leg behind the other and leaning against the hotel wall. "They keep us busy here."

"I know, kid, don't apologize," Lorelai said. A man's voice rumbled in the background. "Yes, Luke, it's Rory. I'll say hi for you."

"Hi back!" Rory said, smiling despite her sour mood. "Hey, Mom? Could we have this conversation…in private?" If she was going to say anything about Jess, she didn't want Luke to overhear.

"Uh, sure. Did you secretly join the CIA? Or is Luke secretly CIA and you're a Russian spy?!"

Rory shook her head at her mother's ridiculous thought processes. She missed that. "No, it's just kind of…sensitive," she said, trailing off vaguely.

"Hm. Now I'm curious. Hang on…." Rory heard a door shut. "Okay, you're good."

"Where are you?" asked Rory.

"In the closet."

"What?! You didn't have to go in the _closet_. Something could fall on your head! We never clean that thing!" Rory scolded.

"But this is where I have _all _my sensitive conversations!" Lorelai argued, and Rory gave up.

"Well…" She wasn't sure how to approach the subject. "The campaign is in Philadelphia right now, and you know who lives in Philadelphia…"

"M. Night Shyamalan?"

"No. Well, yes, I think he does, but not who I was talking about."

"Will Smith?"

"No! Jess, Mom," Rory exclaimed with more force than she meant to.

"_Jess _Jess?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, Jess Jess," she replied, wincing at the accidental rhyme.

"So…you saw him?"

"Yeah. I knocked on his door."

"How did you know where his door was?"

"I didn't," Rory said, trying to explain. "It's a long story. Never mind. The point is, I saw him."

"And…" Lorelai drew out the word.

"And…we kissed." Silence. "Mom?"

"I'm just processing," Lorelai said. She drew in a deep breath and huffed it out. "So. You kissed Jess, huh?"

"Yup."

"So now what?"

Rory frowned. "Now…I don't know," she said, shrugging. "I had to leave really fast this morning to make it to the meeting we just had, so – "

"This _morning_?" Lorelai asked. "Did you spend the night?" Rory could tell her mom was trying to be a best friend more than a parent at the moment, but the undercurrent of concern was still there.

"No, Mom," Rory said consolingly, choosing to leave out the fact that she _had_ spent the night…just not _last _night. "He…makes really good French toast. Almost as good as Luke's."

"Well, I guess he must've picked up one or two things working in the diner," Lorelai conceded, still sounding worried. "So…now what?" she said again.

"I'm not sure. I said I'd go back to his place later today. He's probably at Truncheon, actually…." she mused to herself, forgetting that Lorelai didn't know that she'd gone to Philly before to see Jess.

"Truncheon? Is that his bookstore?" Lorelai asked. "Ow."

"What?" Rory asked, frowning, but glad her mother was so easily distracted.

"A book fell on my head. I'm fine. So, Truncheon?"

Rory sighed. One-track mind. "Yes, that's his bookstore. And publishing house. A tiny one."

"Well…update me later, then, okay?" Lorelai whispered, and Rory assumed Luke was nearby.

"What are you doing in the closet?!" she heard, and couldn't help but grin at her stepfather's familiar gruff tone. "Are you crazy?"

"Well, obviously, why else would I be in the closet?" Lorelai exclaimed. "We'll talk later, hon," she said into the receiver. "Your secret's safe with me," she added.

"Thanks, Mom. I'll call you tonight." Rory hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket. Even though she still had no idea what she was going to do – she didn't even really know what she wanted – talking to Lorelai always made her feel better.

"Hey. Everything okay?" Sonia asked, walking by.

"Yeah. Let's go get something to eat; I'm starved." She linked arms with her friend and they walked out of the hotel.

**A/N: Yes, Luke and Lorelai are married in this post-series universe. I don't see how it could be any other way. :)**


	11. Beginnings and Endings

**A/N: Re: Luke and Lorelai last chapter…in an ideal world (a.k.a. my brain), Luke and Lorelai pretty much get hitched right after the series ends. Maybe that seems OOC, but I just couldn't stand for them to be apart for any longer. And perhaps I will do a JJ story to accompany this one, once it's done, going back and explaining their wedding and stuff. Like that hasn't been done a million trillion times by authors far better than I. Anyway…**

Rory's heartbeat started to thrum as she approached the now-familiar Truncheon storefront. Memories flooded her brain and she felt that guilty twinge somewhere in the vicinity of her chest. She would never _not _feel horrible about that trip to Philadelphia. There was a pit in the bottom of her stomach, too. Essentially, every part of her body was dreading telling Jess that she had to leave.

"Um, hi, is Jess here, by any chance?" she asked the unfamiliar man standing behind the register.

He glanced up from his copy of Philip Roth's newest tome. "Yeah, you can go on back. He should be in the storage room." Rory felt his curious eyes follow her as she made her way to the rear of the room. She stopped once or twice, unable to resist checking out the books they had for sale here. She was engrossed in reading the back cover of one of them when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"So, when you said 'later,' I didn't know when that _was_," Jess complained, frowning playfully at her, and she couldn't help but smile, even though she was the bearer of bad news. "Hey," he continued, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"Jess, I have to tell you something," Rory said after he pulled back. His lips tightened and she wondered what possibilities were running through his head. To cut them off, she said quickly, "The campaign's moving on. Maybe as soon as tomorrow." She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she waited for his reaction.

"Oh," he said quietly after a pause. "Well, that sucks."

"Yeah, it really sucks," she was quick to agree. "Our campaign director told us this morning at that meeting and I just…" She shrugged, unable to come up with words sufficient to describe her disappointment. Jess was silent for a long moment.

"Where are you headed next?" he asked.

"Boston," Rory replied sadly.

"Well, that's not so far," Jess said dully, looking away. Both of them knew it was too far. Rory felt tears welling up in her eyes. Her hands felt cold and she wrung them together until Jess reached out and took them in his own warm ones. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be," he murmured.

Rory jerked away. "No!" she said, louder than she'd intended. Jess stepped back. "No," she repeated, more quietly. "There's a reason you were shipped off to Stars Hollow to stay with Luke. There's a reason we met. There's a reason I left Dean to be with you, and there's a _reason _I knocked on your door when I didn't even know you lived there. Don't you believe in fate?" she asked.

"I used to," Jess said honestly. The man standing behind the counter not-so-subtly made his exit, aware that they needed privacy. "I used to think all the bullshit that was my life was worth it if I got to be with you. But our lives are different now, you know?" He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm doing this, and you're on the campaign, taking the world by storm. You're going to be Christiane Amanpour. I can't ask you to stay here for me."

"But you want to." Rory stared at him, willing him to be honest with her. He just nodded, swallowing hard.

"You know I want to," he said. "But I can't, Ror, I can't ask you to do that. Isn't that _exactly _why you didn't say yes to Logan?" A tear trickled down her cheek. He was right. "Maybe – if we're really lucky – fate will bring us together again, you know?" He shrugged and attempted to smile. "When exactly are you leaving?"

Rory shook her head, her lips twisting. "I don't know. Tim said one or two more days here."

Jess nodded. "So, this is probably the stupid king of stupid ideas, but…do you want to stay here tonight?" Rory didn't hesitate to agree. It would be healthier for both of them if they just went their separate ways now. But since when was Rory Gilmore the picture of health? She stepped forward and crushed her mouth against his, the kiss tasting of cigarettes – he always said he was quitting – and desperation. Everything inside Rory was screaming at her that she was doing the wrong thing, that this would only make it hurt more, but she ignored all of it and ran her hands underneath Jess' t-shirt. _Sonia would be so proud_, she thought faintly as she tried to tug it over his head.

"Not here, not here," he mumbled, pulling her to the door. He wrapped one arm around her protectively as they speed-walked to his apartment, Jess cursing under his breath the whole time. Rory just glanced at him every time an expletive shot out of his mouth, her eyes wide and her brain refusing to register what was happening. After a few minutes, they tumbled inside Jess' apartment, where they collapsed in a tangle on his bed and Rory resumed removing his clothing. Absolutely not another word was spoken in the ensuing forty-five minutes, unusual for two people whose lives were so caught up in words.

Eventually, Jess slid his way down Rory's body, kissing her naked skin, and rolled both of them so they were on their sides, facing each other. He gave her a half-smile and twisted his fingers into her hair. "Can we do that again?" she mumbled, lightly stroking the nape of his neck.

He chuckled. "Give me a few minutes. Rory, that was – "

She put a finger against his lips and shook her head. "I know." A sweet smile spread across her face and she lowered her eyelashes. "Don't say anything for a minute, okay? Let's just…lie here." She slipped her arm around his back and pulled him closer, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. Rory sighed and willed her brain not to think about leaving this bed, going back to the hotel, and soon, far too soon, leaving Philadelphia behind.

**A/N: I just reposted this chapter because I wasn't completely happy with it, and parts didn't make sense (like Jess doesn't ****_have _****a bed upstairs at Truncheon anymore, duh). One reviewer also seemed concerned with the safety of this particular encounter. I may not have spelled it out, but you can assume that, unless otherwise specified, they're always safe. Stay in school and use a condom, kids!**


	12. Kiss and Tell

"Rory, you said you would call me last night!" Lorelai whined into the receiver. Rory bit her lip.

"I'm so sorry. I got, um, tangled up in something." She slapped a hand over Jess' mouth before he could let out the snicker she knew was coming.

"I get it, I get it. You can text me too, you know."

"I know, the eighteen texts you sent me last night and this morning made me all too aware of that fact. I _promise _I will call you back in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay…" Lorelai replied doubtfully, and Rory hung up the phone and tossed it into her bag, feeling guilty.

"Don't worry, I'll remind you to call her," Jess murmured, stroking the side of her face. She gave him a brief smile, then looked away. She glanced at Jess' alarm clock and sighed.

"I have to go soon," she said haltingly, the words almost refusing to exit her mouth.

"I want you to stay. But you can't stay," Jess replied, burying his face in her neck and inhaling. "I know this, and yet…" He pulled her closer and intertwined a leg with hers, jutting his hips towards her and making her gasp. "I can't get enough of you," he panted.

"Won't hurt anyone if I'm five minutes late," Rory mumbled, tugging him so his full weight was pressing her into the mattress.

An hour later, Rory ran into the now-familiar conference room where the reporters were gathered, her day-old blouse half buttoned and shoes on the wrong feet. Sonia turned and stared at her, as did most of the rest of the reporters. Tim, thankfully, was oblivious. "Where were _you _last night?" Sonia asked playfully, grinning at her friend.

"You know where I was," Rory mumbled, making Sonia giggle in delight. Her phone buzzed and, after checking to make sure Tim wasn't looking – he didn't approve of cell phones, for some reason – she glanced at the screen. _I miss you already_. Rory groaned internally. What was he _doing_? They'd agreed to stay in touch on a strictly friendly basis, but now she was picturing him lying in that bed, missing her. It was torture. She felt dizzy and pulled over a folding chair so she could sit down. How was she supposed to go to Boston when he was here, existing, just being so…_Jess_? Rory stared down at the text and another started to come in. She waited with bated breath. _I know I wasn't supposed to say something like that. But I do._ Rory let out a frustrated sound and everyone stared at her again.

"Rory, please put the cellular device away," Tim said firmly. Rory blushed and tucked the phone into her pocket. She felt like she was in high school all over again. Not only was she getting yelled at for using her phone, but she was…dating…no, pseudo-dating…no, not-even-dating Jess again. She closed her eyes.

_"You know I wish I could stay," Rory said mournfully as she pulled her skirt back on. She cast around for her left shoe, frowning until Jess pointed it out underneath the nightstand. She sat down on the bed and stroked his arm. Every touch made her want to stay more, but she couldn't resist. _

_"I know," Jess said shortly, looking away. Six years ago, that kind of response would have made her angry and resentful, but she knew now that it was just his way of dealing with his emotions. Rory was a talker; Jess was not. _

_"I want to stay in touch with you, okay?" Rory said, staring at him until he turned his head and looked at her again. "We should keep talking. We were friends once, right? Why not again?" She gave him a trembly smile. _

_"Right," he replied softly. They were both remembering, both thinking they had never _really _just been friends, despite Rory's insistence that she loved Dean and Jess' complete refusal to even talk about her, let alone admit that he liked her. "What about letters?"_

_"Huh?" _

_"Letters," Jess repeated, propping himself up on one arm. "We both know I'm way better at writing than talking. And you never did send me that nice fruit basket from D.C." He forced a smile. _

_Rory nodded. "Okay. Good idea… I…I really have to go now," she said, glancing at the alarm clock on Jess' nightstand. "I'm already late." _

_"Write me first. You'll be on the move," Jess said._

_"I will," Rory promised. "Friends?" A long pause._

_"Friends," Jess agreed. "Don't forget to call Lorelai," he called after her. Rory smiled and nodded. And she left, her heart fluttering madly, as if in protest._

"Rory? Rory?" She opened her eyes to see Sonia peering down at her, looking concerned.

"Huh?"

"You were on another planet there for a minute. The meeting's over. Tim was staring at you but I told him you were having 'woman's troubles' and he backed off right away." Sonia smirked.

"Ha. Thanks."

"Anytime. So…not much is going on today. Tim has some administrative stuff to take care of, so he kind of just told us to hang out until we're ready to leave. Want to get breakfast? I need all the dirty details, but that requires a bloody Mary and an omelet." Rory nodded tiredly – she hadn't gotten much sleep last night, although she had technically been in a bed the entire time – and trudged after her friend, pausing only to put her shoes on the correct feet and rebutton her blouse.

Rory phone bleeped while she and Sonia were eating brunch. She glanced at the caller ID and cursed.

"It's a little early for that kind of language, don't you think?" a passing waiter said snidely.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Rory said into the phone, throwing an apologetic look to the waiter as well.

"What on earth is distracting you so much that you keep forgetting to call your one and only mother?" Lorelai said. "It can only be a person of the male persuasion…"

"Is Luke there?"

"Nope. You're good."

Rory sighed. "You're right."

"Ha! So…you and Jess, huh? Wow." Rory could tell Lorelai was trying to be happy for her, even though she still resented Luke's nephew for the pain, both physical and emotional, he had caused Rory. Sonia gazed across the table sympathetically.

"We're just friends, Mom."

"Friends who sleep together sometimes?" Lorelai asked in a faux-innocent voice.

"What?!"

"Hon, you really need to get better at making sure you _definitely _hung up the phone before you do the nasty."

"Oh my _god_. Are you kidding?"

"Serious as a heart attack. I hung up after about ten seconds, though."

"Why did it take you that long?!" Rory was starting to attract stares from the other diners, much to Sonia's amusement.

"Because I thought maybe you were trying to say something to me in _code_, like we were spies or something. Then I heard a man's voice, and, well…"

"What is your obsession with spies lately? It _wasn't_ code," Rory pointed out unnecessarily. She was blushing furiously.

"I figured. So, explain. You're friends, but..?"

"We…maybe made some not-so-smart-or-healthy decisions last night, but we agreed we'd stay friends for now. I mean, what other choice do we have? The campaign is leaving for Boston tomorrow."

Lorelai gasped. "And you didn't even tell me? I can road-trip up and visit! And you can see your dad. I mean, if you want to," she said, her voice faltering. After their divorce, and Lorelai and Luke's subsequent wedding, Lorelai and Christopher hadn't spoken much.

"I might," Rory said carefully. "But mostly because I should see G.G."

"So…I'm gonna go, hon, okay?" Rory frowned. She could tell her mom was uncomfortable, but she'd been the one to bring up Christopher in the first place. Lorelai was insistent that she couldn't be happier that Chris had left and Luke had come back into her life, but Rory knew there would always be a tinge of sadness when Christopher was mentioned.

"Um, okay, Mom. Have a good day and say hi to Luke for me. And – "

"Don't worry, I won't even mention Jess till you say the word. _If _you ever say the word."

"Thanks. I love you."

"Love you too."

Rory hung up. "I'm so sorry, Sonia. That was so rude." She dug into her eggs as Sonia waved an unconcerned hand and took a swig of her bloody Mary.

"So, your mom heard you and Jess, huh?" she said, grinning devilishly.

Rory buried her face in her hands and peeked through her fingers. "Yes."

"How was it?"

Rory sighed. "Amazing. And sad." A commotion near the door cut off Sonia's reply. Both girls craned their necks and looked over curiously. Then Sonia gasped.

"It's…it's…"

"I know!" Rory said in a hushed, reverent tone. Barack Obama and his wife were being led to a table caddy-corner to theirs. The girls forgot their manners completely and stared, gaping. The senator just smiled and waved at them, as did Michelle, and Rory and Sonia hesitantly waved back.

"Are you working on my campaign?" he called over. They both nodded. "Good work! Thank you. Enjoy your brunch."

"You…too…" Sonia said faintly. "Holy _shit_," she said in a whisper. "I thought we'd never see him, except for that first day he gave that speech to everyone and was like a hundred yards away."

"I know!" Rory replied, concentrating on her plate and trying not to stare. They soon finished their brunch and paid, both taking one last peek at the power couple. "Wait till we tell everyone else!" Rory exclaimed once they were back on the street.

"They won't believe it. Eric will be so jealous. So…you never finished telling me about Jess, although I gleaned most of it from your conversation with Lorelai. Are you okay?"

Rory sighed. "Maybe, maybe not. We're going to write to each other…"

**A/N: I ****_promise _****Christopher is not going to make any appearances in this story. I'll skip right over him. He doesn't need my attention, or anyone else's. I am much more likely to give the Obamas more cameos.**


	13. Letters to Jess, Letters to Rory

September 21, 2007

Dear Jess,

We're just leaving Boston today. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to write to you. I hope you didn't think I forgot about you as soon as we left Philadelphia. I wanted to call you, but we agreed on letters, so…

I kept trying to think of the perfect words to say to you when I wrote my first-ever letter to you. I remember what I wanted to say when I started writing you from D.C. – yes, I did try. I never told you that. I had this piece of paper that had "Dear Jess" written at the top for weeks. I could never come up with the right words, but you can probably guess the general sentiment. I wanted you, not Dean, but I was too much of a good girl to admit it. I wanted to live up to everyone's expectations – my mom's, the town's – but really I should have only thought about your expectations.

I saw my dad in Boston. That's where he lives with his daughter, my half-sister, G.G. I know you're laughing at her name. He didn't choose it; his ex-wife did. I never really thought about it, but you and I have something in common when it comes to absentee fathers. Dad was never really there for me when I was a kid, or even now. He missed it. He missed me growing up. You never told me what happened when you were in California, not really. And you don't have to tell me now. I understand if you don't want to talk about it.

We're almost in Maine now. I've been taking a lot of pauses while writing this. Putting it down, picking it back up. That's the nice thing about a letter. You don't have to say everything all at once. If you mail a letter to the Hilton Garden Inn in Bangor, Maine, it'll get to me.

Write soon.

Rory

October 3, 2007

Dear Rory,

What's Maine like? I've never been. Luke has, when he was helping out Liz and TJ at that stupid renaissance thing, but he never told me about it. I guess there's lobster. I don't really like lobster; I had it once and thought it was the most disgusting thing. Sorry…I'm rambling. I think I picked that up from you. Thanks a lot.

Do you read on the bus? I can imagine you carting around your entire library from state to state, but I don't think that would be very practical. The bus would try to pull away and get weighed down by all your Jane Austens and Ayn Rands. Add some Hemingway in there for me, will you? At least then maybe Senator Obama will think a little more highly of you. Not sure what he would think if he saw you reading _Atlas Shrugged_. Maybe I'll send you a book every once in a while, if the postage isn't too high – running my own independent bookstore isn't going to get me on the Fortune 500 list anytime soon, I can promise you that.

I want to tell you about California and Jimmy and the craziness over there, but it'd take up too much room. I'll write about it some other time.

Chris is watching me write this. He keeps trying to peek over my shoulder. He's an asshole.

Jess

October 31, 2007

Dear Jess,

Happy Halloween! I'm trying to imagine what you would do if trick-or-treaters came to your door. You'd probably scowl at them and terrify them out of their skins. Do you have the same attitude towards kids that Luke seems to have? He's always afraid their hands will be sticky, for some reason. But I think he and Mom are going to have at least one kid. I can feel it. They're happy, and I'm glad. Sometimes I wish I had someone to share this experience with, though, someone…and I hate this word… "special." Every time my grandmother calls (which is a lot), she asks if I've met anyone "special." I always kind of dodge the question and she always asks again the next time.

I forgot to tell you! On our last full day in Philadelphia, Sonia and I saw Barack! He and Michelle were in the same restaurant having brunch. That was the morning after…well, you know. It was so cool to see him that close. It was like…_here's _what I'm working towards. Here's the man who's going to change the world. I wasn't wearing my Ayn Rand t-shirt at the time, though, so don't worry. Send me books. I don't care if it's Hemingway. I can't believe I just said that. I do read on the bus, sometimes. Sonia likes to talk a lot, so it's distracting. I'm using _1984 _to write on right now. I read it a long time ago, but it seems like the appropriate political climate to revisit some Orwell.

Send the next letter to the Meadow Court Inn, Ithaca, NY. Say hi to Chris.

Rory

November 28, 2007

Dear Rory,

Sorry it took me forever to write back. I really hope the hotel knows where you went and forwards this to you. Business has miraculously picked up at Truncheon and we're expanding to another location, believe it or not. It's on the other side of the city. I did indeed terrorize the trick-or-treaters. I think my withering stare may have even measured up to yours, but I've still never seen it, so I don't know for sure.

With this letter you will find a copy of _The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil_, by George Saunders. He's a genius, and I mean that literally – he has a MacArthur Grant to prove it. He's one of my favorite authors. I hope you like him. Hemingway may make an appearance later, if you're lucky…

I like Obama. He seems okay. Better than what we've got now.

Jess

December 11, 2007

Dear Jess,

Thanks for the book; I really enjoyed it. They did manage to forward your letter to me, obviously. I told the desk clerk before we left to forward any mail addressed to me to Baltimore, which is where we are now. It's not the most exciting city. Much less cool than Philly, in my opinion. I wish we could talk about the book in person, like we used to do. But reading your notes in the margins was almost like having you here.

So far Obama's doing really well on the trail, so our campaign manager thinks some more stops might be added. Mom's disappointed, of course. The last time we saw each other was when I was in Boston, which seems like forever ago. We're moving farther West again. Not as far as California, though, I don't think. But who knows. I might get to see the Sunshine State after all. Do you think I'd like it there? I bet the food's good, even with all the vegans and health nuts. Supposedly the last stop is in Austin and there's going to be some huge party for all the people on the campaign – not just us reporters, but everyone else who was helping as well.

I miss Luke's burgers. And Luke's fries. And pie…no matter how many diners we go to, I can't seem to find any that used to be a hardware store and is owned by a grumpy baseball-cap wearing man. They're never the same. Is it okay if I text you to tell you where to send the next letter? I keep losing track of where we are and where we're headed next.

Rory

January 8, 2008

Dear Rory,

Obviously, I got your text, so I hope you're still in Atlanta. They'll probably turn up their noses at Luke's peach pie. Peach snobs. I figured a burger and fries wouldn't travel so well, but pie should be all right. I paid a visit to that little freak show you call home yesterday. Liz and TJ wanted me to visit Doula (have we talked about what a ridiculous name she has?). I saw your mom, of course. She was looking at me really weird, and she said something about digging out her dull hedge clippers…I guess you told her what happened in Philadelphia, huh? You tell each other everything, what am I saying.

Enjoy the pie.

Jess

February 1, 2008

Dear Jess,

I'm so sorry about my mom. Are you mad that I told her? I didn't know you would be going back to Stars Hollow anytime soon, but I probably should have seen it coming. Lorelai's nothing if not protective. You should have seen the look on her face when she first realized I liked you…anyway, I'm really sorry. She promised she wouldn't tell Luke what happened, so hopefully he's still clueless.

Headed to Kentucky next. I'll text you the address. Thank you for the pie.

Rory


	14. Fights and Frights

**A/N: Apparently I'm not as up on my state nicknames as I would have you believe. Thanks for the correction, hieisdragoness18. California is definitely the Golden State. **

Rory would have been less surprised to see Leonardo DiCaprio waiting for her outside the Hilton in Louisville. She stood, frozen to the spot, until Sonia shoved her in the right direction and walked away. "See you later," she whispered, nodding slightly at Jess.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked immediately, concern etched all over her face.

"Nothing," Jess shrugged. "Just wanted to see you."

Jess was probably the only person in the world who could strip Rory's ability to speak away from her. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but her mind was too warped to come up with anything to say, so she threw herself into his arms. "Are you mad at me?" she asked, her voice muffled by his t-shirt.

Jess snorted. "Nah."

"How did you know where I was? We just got here; I hadn't even texted you the address yet!" Rory exclaimed, pulling back slightly to look up at him.

"Just followed the crowd of admirers." Jess tilted his head toward a group of people Rory hadn't noticed yet, all shouting and holding signs that said some very rude things about the senator. Rory snorted.

"That's just great," she said. "Come inside before they decide to attack us." She grabbed his hand and led him inside the hotel lobby. "I'm so happy you're here!" she squealed, plopping down on one of the couches there. "I was so worried you were mad at me," she said more seriously, plucking at her skirt. Jess shrugged again.

"It's not a big deal," he said. "Sorry if you thought I was upset. You write a lot more than I do. The letter wasn't so short on purpose."

Rory nodded. "I know that now. I guess you borrowed that concise, to-the-point style from Hemingway, huh?"

"I learned from the best," Jess smirked, wrapping an arm around her. Rory glanced at his hand on her shoulder and he pulled back immediately. "Sorry…"

"It's okay, Jess," Rory assured him. "I guess…never mind."

"What?" Jess shifted, moving so that he was facing her.

Rory sighed. "I just thought of when I went to see you in New York and I was on that bus and you asked me why I came…you remember?" Jess nodded. "So I guess I'm wondering…why did you come here?"

"Well…I can't parrot you. You did say goodbye." Jess pressed his lips together tightly. "We lost the business," he said quietly, staring down at the floor.

"What?" Rory said, stunned. "Truncheon?"

"Yeah. Bad economy and all that. Bookstores are tough to keep up."

"But…but you were expanding!" Rory protested, her eyes wide. "I thought everything was going so well!"

"It was," Jess shrugged. "We tried everything we could to stay afloat. Then some chain offered to buy the space for triple what we paid for it. And Matt and Chris thought it was for the best."

"But you didn't," Rory guessed.

Jess shook his head. "Two against one," he said softly.

"I'm so sorry, Jess," Rory whispered, pressing a hand to her mouth. "That's awful. When did it happen?"

"It's been building for a while, but we officially sold it yesterday. And I just…I didn't know where else to go. Luke's all happy and white picket fences with your mom, and I didn't really want to admit I failed to Liz, so…"

"You didn't _fail_," Rory said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You published a book. Truncheon helped you do that." Jess gave a half-shrug and Rory's heart broke for him. "What now?" she asked.

"I don't know," Jess said helplessly. "I don't have a backup plan. Normally I'm fine with just floating around from place to place and finding work where I go, that's what I did in California, but I guess I got soft…got used to Truncheon…" He put his head in his hands. "Fuck, I swear, if I end up working at Barnes & Noble for the rest of my life…"

"You won't," Rory said confidently. "Do you want a drink?" Jess nodded vehemently, even though it was just two in the afternoon. Rory led the way to the hotel's bar and ordered two beers, but Jess shook his head and ordered a shot of whiskey. Rory bit her lip. "Me too," she told the bartender after a pause.

After an hour and a half of steady drinking (more so on Jess' part; Rory stopped after two shots and one vodka soda), Rory sighed. "Well, I would invite you up to my room, but Sonia's there, so…"

"So no funny business?" Jess said hoarsely, a ghost of his old smirk flickering on his face.

Rory blushed. "I didn't mean – "

"I know, Rory. I'm just teasing you."

"Oh." She pasted a smile on her face and gazed into the cup of melted ice in front of her.

Jess stared at her for a moment – she noticed out of her peripheral vision – then said, "You know, if Truncheon's gone under, that means I'm a free agent again. No ties. Nothing left for me in Philly."

"That's not true!" Rory protested. "I'm sure there are lots of great places you could work that would love to have you. And what are Chris and Matthew doing, all the money from the sale can't keep them afloat for long – " Jess was laughing quietly. "What?"

"You don't get it," he said, a slight smile on his face for the first time since he'd arrived. "I don't have to stay in Philly. I don't _want _to stay in Philly." He looked at her expectantly, but Rory's mind was chugging sluggishly, her wit dampened by the alcohol. "I wanna be with _you_, Rory," he said, sliding off the barstool and gathering her in his arms.

"Oh…" she said, the realization finally pouring over her like a bucket of ice water. "But…but you can't just follow me around while I'm doing this."

Jess pulled back. "You don't want me to."

"It's not that," Rory insisted. She wished he would look her in the eye. "It just doesn't make any sense. What, you'll follow the bus around from state to state in your car? Get a room in whatever hotel I happen to be in? We don't know how much longer we're going to be on the trail, Jess; if Obama keeps doing well, it could be a very long time! I don't want to put you through that!" She broke off with a huff of frustration, but Jess heard it as a laugh.

"Oh, you don't, huh?" he spat. She was standing now, her inch-and-a-half high heels enabling her to look him right in the eye as he spoke. "I don't want to go through it, either, but I'd do it for you, Rory! Don't you see? It doesn't matter where we are. We can be in Stars Hollow, or New York, or Philadelphia, or _Kentucky_, for fuck's sake, but it doesn't matter as long as we're together!" He paused, his chest heaving and his eyes burning.

Rory stared back, her lower lip trembling. "I can't ask you to follow me," she whispered. The bartender, too engrossed to interrupt, cleaned the same glass over and over. No one else was around.

"You're not _asking_, dammit!" Jess half-shouted, his shoulders hunched in frustration. "I'm offering!" They stared at each other, each of their faces holding a stony glare.

"Um…Rory?" Sonia said tentatively, stepping into the bar. Rory whipped her head around and stared at her friend, making the other girl step back. "Sorry, sorry," she said. "I just – Tim says we're supposed to be working, and he was wondering where you were, so I said I'd find you – " She stopped at the look on Jess' face. "I'll just go make up an excuse," Sonia said quickly, practically running out of the bar. Before Rory could reply to Jess, her phone started ringing.

"Not now, Mom!" she shot into the receiver.

"Rory, Luke was in an accident. You have to tell Jess to come here," Lorelai said, her voice shaking. All of Rory's anger deflated and was replaced by fear. She looked at Jess, her eyes wide.

"How did you know – never mind. I'll be there too, as soon as we can." Rory hung up and bowed her head. Her hands were trembling.

"What is it?" Jess asked, his voice much softer than it had been just minutes earlier.

"Luke…it's Luke. We have to go."

**A/N: 1. No offense to Kentuckians. I don't mean to generalize with the protesters. It's hard not to get a little bit political in this story, considering Rory's job. It's probably obvious which way I lean, but I try to respect everyone's opinions.**

** 2. I knowww, when are Rory and Jess gonna get it together? Those crazy kids!**

** 3. Luke! :(**


	15. Out of the Woods

"What hospital is he in?" Jess asked as he and Rory flung themselves into Jess' car.

"Hartford," Rory replied, swallowing back tears. "Mom didn't say anything useful! She said he was in an accident; what _kind _of accident? Car? Kitchen fire? What?" She wrung her hands together.

"Why don't you call her?" Jess suggested, calm as could be, reaching over to buckle her seatbelt for her before pulling out of the parking lot.

"Oh, of course, I'll call her!" Rory exclaimed. "I'm so stupid!" She took her phone out as Jess shook his head slightly.

"Rory?"

"Mom! Jess and I are on our way. We're getting the very next flight out of here. Tell me everything." Rory gripped the phone tightly, glanced over at Jess, and put her on speakerphone so he could hear.

"Luke was doing some handyman work around the inn for me this morning," Lorelai began to explain, her voice ringing out into the car. "The second-floor windowsills needed repainting, so he was on a ladder, balancing a can of paint and a brush, and – well, I was downstairs, so I didn't see exactly what happened, but I guess he lost his balance, and when I saw him, he was – " Lorelai took a shaky breath that rattled into the receiver. "He was facedown on the ground, unconscious. The paint can landed on his head." Rory gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "He was still out of it when we got here an hour ago." Jess' jaw clenched and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He pushed the car to 75, even though the speed limit was 50.

"Is anyone else there?" Rory asked, gripping the phone with her left hand and biting the nails of her right.

"Just me," Lorelai answered. "I made Sookie and Michel stay at the inn." They heard a sterile-sounding announcement in the background.

"Did they say what his injuries were? Does he have a concussion or anything?" Jess asked, speaking for the first time since Lorelai had answered the phone.

"Hi, Jess," she said. "All they said was that they had to keep him under observation to make sure there's no brain damage…they mopped up all the blood…" On the word 'blood,' Lorelai's voice broke and she sniffled. "Will you guys be here soon?"

"As soon as we can!" Rory assured her. "We're pulling into Louisville International right now."

"Good thing we still have all those frequent flier miles from Europe, huh?" Lorelai asked dully.

"Yeah…yeah. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until we go through security, Mom?"

A pause. "If I say yes, does that make me the kid and you the mom?" Lorelai's voice sounded small. Rory bit her lip and looked over at Jess.

"No," he answered. "It just makes you human."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 

"Why does the plane have to _stop_? It's so _inconvenient_!" Rory fumed as they disembarked somewhere in North Carolina.

"Hartford's small. We could've flown direct to Boston or New York, but then we would've had to take the train or rent a car, and that could take even longer," Jess replied, trying to be the voice of reason and calm, even as his insides contorted. "Come on, we gotta run for our next flight." He grabbed her hand and started jogging.

"I – hate – this," Rory said breathlessly.

"You should work out more," Jess pointed out, and she swatted him as best she could while they were still sprinting down the terminal to the correct gate.

"Sitting on a bus – all day long – for days on end – does not – an athlete – make," she panted, and they swung into the waiting area for Gate 24.

"Now boarding all passengers for flight 152 to Hartford," a woman standing behind an official-looking desk announced into a microphone. "You're right on time," she said with a warm smile to Jess and Rory.

As the plane took off, Rory still clutched Jess' hand. She didn't seem to realize that he was gripping it back just as tightly, just as desperately.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 

"Mom!" Rory yelled as soon as they entered the ER waiting room. The bus from the airport had seemingly taken forever. A nurse glared at her. "She's not _here_," Rory exclaimed, ignoring the nurse and whipping her head around at the people gathered there, in varying states of distress. "She said she was here!"

"They probably moved Luke. She's just in a different waiting room. Excuse me, ma'am? Which way is the head trauma unit?" The nurse pointed, looking relieved to be rid of the loud girl, and they speed-walked down the generic hallways until Rory spotted Lorelai.

"Mom!" she yelled again, and Lorelai leapt up and ran into Rory's arms.

"Aw, kid, you're finally here," she said, sounding relieved. Jess stood back a couple of feet. "I'm so glad you both made it," Lorelai continued, shooting a ghost of a smile in his direction.

"Has anything changed since we last spoke to you?" Jess asked, taking a seat along with the girls.

"Not that I know of," Lorelai said helplessly. "I haven't seen hide or tail of the doctor since they moved him from the ER to here. What if he's – " She broke off, her eyes going glassy with tears.

"He's not," Rory insisted, grabbing her mom's hand and squeezing. "He's fine."

"I'll get coffee," Jess offered, standing and gazing around for a machine.

"No – Jess, it's your uncle in there," Rory countered, standing up as well.

"And it's your stepfather," he pointed out, then looked to Lorelai. "And your husband. I'll get the coffee." Rory sat back down, watching Jess go, and gripped her mother's hand. After a few minutes of silence, only punctuated by the nurse answering the phone or an announcement coming over the PA system, Rory spoke.

"Mom, how'd you know Jess was with me when you called?"

A smile flickered on Lorelai's face. "Jess called Luke to tell him he was going to Kentucky, but he wouldn't say why. He swore Luke to secrecy, but of course he told me and we put two and two together." She turned to face her daughter. "So what's going on there? Before he gets back with coffee that will surely be terrible?" Rory hesitated. "Come on, I need a distraction," Lorelai wheedled, sounding a tiny bit more like her usual self.

"I don't really know," Rory said honestly. "We were in the middle of this massive fight when you called."

"What about?"

"Truncheon went under. And Jess said he wanted to be with me."

"Drop a bomb much?!" Lorelai yelped, startling the two other family members who were waiting. Rory made a _shush_ing gesture as she spotted the man in question returning, carrying three paper cups. Lorelai sniffed at hers, her eyebrows raised. "This actually doesn't smell atrocious," she commented.

"High praise," Jess said. "I snuck into a nurses' lounge. Got the good stuff before they noticed I wasn't a nurse and kicked me out."

Lorelai laughed. "You know, Luke did the same exact thing when my dad was in the hospital like eight years ago." She gazed at Jess contemplatively, flicking her eyes back and forth from him to Rory. She opened her mouth to say something, but a doctor walked up to them just at that moment and they all leapt to their feet.

"Danes family?" he asked, looking from face to face. "Okay. Luke had some very severe trauma to the head. He has a grade III concussion, but he is semi-alert now and speaking. He asked for you immediately," he said, nodding his head to Lorelai, who bit her lip and grabbed Rory's hand. "We're about to perform some X-rays to see if he requires surgery. His wife can go in, but it's best if he isn't over-stimulated. We don't want to confuse him any more than necessary," the doctor finished, gesturing for Lorelai to follow him. Jess heaved a deep sigh and took a sip of his coffee.

"Did you call Liz?" Rory asked quietly. Jess shook his head. "She should know. He's her brother. Do you want me to call her?"

"No, I should do it," Jess conceded after a moment of consideration. He left the room again to make the call, leaving Rory alone. She twisted her hands in her lap and picked up a magazine, only to put it back down a few seconds later. A clock ticked absurdly loudly in the corner. After a moment of gazing around aimlessly, Rory pulled out her phone and noticed she had a message from Sonia, asking if everyone was okay. She typed out a quick reply and hit send just as Jess walked back into the room, pocketing his own phone.

"How'd it go?" Rory asked. "Is she coming?"

Jess shook his head and Rory felt a surge of anger. "Not because she didn't _want _to," Jess hastened to say at the look on her face. "She wishes she could be here, but Doula has the chicken pox and there's no one to baby-sit. Not even TJ – he's never had them, so she banned him from the apartment until Doula isn't contagious anymore." He took a seat next to Rory and she immediately tucked herself into his side, prompting him to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "This okay?" he murmured.

She nodded into his chest. "Exactly what I need."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you before." Rory peeked up at him. His gaze was directed elsewhere, but his grip on her was tight as ever.

"Jess, I know we need to talk more," she said softly. "But now's not the right time." He nodded and she felt him inhale deeply and let out all of his breath at once.

"I know," he said simply. Rory tried to tuck away her worries about their relationship and what would become of it. Luke was the priority now for both of them.

Lorelai returned about thirty minutes later, by which time Rory had fallen asleep out of pure exhaustion. Jess nodded at her, and Lorelai couldn't help smiling at how comfortable and at peace her daughter looked, wrapped in this boy's arms. _Man_, Lorelai mentally corrected herself, taking a seat on Rory's other side and gently stroking her arm. Rory made a sleepy little sound and opened her cerulean eyes. "Mom?" she mumbled. Then she shot straight up, knocking Jess' arm off. "How's Luke?"

"He's – he's okay, um, not great, you know, but the doctor said it looks like he's out of the woods," Lorelai said, forcing a small smile on her lips.

"How did he look?" Jess asked hoarsely, leaning forward so he could see Lorelai.

"Small," Lorelai said, huffing out a short laugh. "Hospital beds have a funny way of shrinking people. His head is all bandaged up. But he seemed lucid and everything, I mean, he knew who I was…" She broke off, her hands visibly shaking.

"Mom," Rory hummed, wrapping her arms around her. "It's okay. It sounds like it could have been way, way worse. Right?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah." She bit her lip. "I just sat there next to him and held his hand. He hates hospitals." She half-smiled, and Rory knew she was remembering the night her father had his first heart attack again, how Luke had been with her the whole time, even though the passing patients made him queasy. Lorelai turned her head towards Jess. "He was glad to hear you were here too, Jess," she told him.

"So what now?" Jess asked.

"Now we get to wait some more," Lorelai answered. "The nurse shooed me out to do some more tests. He'll be here for at least a couple days, though, depending on what they find. Rory, would you mind feeding Paul Anka? I can't believe I just forgot about him."

"You're staying here?" Rory asked, even though she knew the answer already. Lorelai nodded.

"I'll come with you," Jess volunteered as Lorelai handed the keys to the Jeep to her daughter. "If you don't mind being alone for a bit," he remedied, looking at the woman who was technically his aunt.

"Go ahead, I'll be fine." She waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, and can you stop by the inn and tell Sookie and Michel what's going on, please?"

"Of course, Mom," Rory said, giving her a hug. "It's gonna be okay. We'll come back."

**A/N: Sorry for switching POV around a bit there. I really wanted to capture that moment between Rory and Jess, but Rory was asleep, so she couldn't very well express her thoughts on it.**

**Review!**


	16. White Picket Fences

"Talk about déjà vu," Jess muttered as Rory led the way into Lorelai's house. He gazed around, noting the changes since he'd last been in the Gilmore household, small and large. It was bigger – he noticed that right away – but still held the same homey, distinct feeling that he'd pretended to hate when he was seventeen. There were hints of Luke around, too: a fishing pole leaned against the wall near the doorway; a stray baseball cap lay on one of the living room chairs.

Rory heaved a deep sigh, a look of contentment coming over her face. "It's been a long time since I was here, too," she explained. "Paul Anka, here, boy!" The shaggy dog came skittering around the corner, his claws click-clacking on the floor and his tail wagging.

"I hope you don't mind that I came with you," Jess offered, shifting from foot to foot.

"No, of course not," Rory said, though her gaze remained on Paul Anka as she petted him (with her non-watch hand, of course). "You can come in, you know." Jess shuffled a few more feet into the foyer, feeling like a trespasser.

"So, I know there are some…unanswered questions…" he ventured, but before Rory could reply, Paul Anka yelped and cowered. He dashed back into the kitchen and hid underneath the table. "What did I do?" Jess asked, bewildered.

Rory sighed. "You said a word that started with the letter Q." She looked at him. "'Questions,'" she prompted at his look of befuddlement.

"I – what? The dog is afraid of…the letter Q?"

"Yes," Rory said, as if this were the most normal thing in the world. She walked into the kitchen, Jess trailing behind cautiously. "Paul Anka," she cooed in a sweet, soothing voice. "Come on, boy. Jess didn't mean it. He doesn't know about your paranoia. Come on, Paul Anka." After much coaxing, the dog finally poked his head out from under the tablecloth, shooting a wary glance at Jess. As she poured his kibble, Rory said over her shoulder, "Here's what you have to remember. Paul Anka is a very specific dog. He does not like words that start with the letter Q. He is afraid of popcorn. And peas, raw _and_ cooked. And lint. He's afraid of…" Rory paused, squinting as she tried to remember. "Mom knows this list better than I do. He's scared of mailboxes…and stairs…oh, and paperbacks, so don't read while you're here or he'll freak out again." She put away the bag of dog food. "Oh! I know what we can do!" She reached for the same cabinet and pulled out a box of sugar.

"Snacktime?" Jess asked dryly.

"No, it's for your toes."

"_What_?"

"Your toes. If Paul Anka licks sugar off your toes, you're in for life." Rory looked at Jess expectantly. "You have to take off your shoes and socks," she pointed out after a moment.

"I feel like I'm in some kind of bizarre existentialist book," Jess mumbled as he removed his sneakers and socks, hopping around a little to keep his balance. "_As Jess Mariano awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found his feet covered in monstrous sugar_," he pseudo-quoted.

Rory smiled. "Come on, now, we don't have all day!" Jess obligingly stuck out his right foot for sugaring. "Wait, we have to wet it first. Dry sugar on a dry toe won't work. Sit down." He pulled out a chair cautiously, watching the dog to make sure he wasn't afraid of chairs or sitting or something. "Here," Rory said, handing him a damp paper towel. "Paul Anka! Come here! See what Jess has for you!" she cooed, and the shaggy creature bounced over, sniffed Jess' foot, and started licking.

"This is surreal," Jess muttered, cocking an eyebrow at Rory, who couldn't keep from giggling. "And it tickles," he grimaced, trying not to pull his foot out of Paul Anka's reach as he licked enthusiastically. He gazed up at Rory, enjoying the first smile he'd seen on her face since they'd left the hospital.

"We have to stop by the inn, too," she said softly, watching him watching her. "You can put your socks back on," she added, and Jess snapped out of it, looking down at the dog, who was wagging his tail expectantly. "Pet him!" Rory encouraged. "Just make sure it's with your right hand," she added quickly, noticing the watch on Jess' left wrist.

"Wouldn't dare use my left," he murmured sarcastically, but reached down and scratched behind Paul Anka's perky ears, making the dog thump his leg.

"See? He loves you now!" Rory exclaimed, shooting him a smile, but quickly diverting it to Paul Anka. "Wanna go for a walk, boy?" she asked, hiding his leash behind her back. "Good boy!" She maneuvered behind him and hooked the lead onto his collar, all without Paul Anka noticing a thing. "Okay, let's go. The inn's only a short walk from here." Although Jess' insides twitched uncomfortably at the prospect of a walk around a town that surely still hated his guts, he got up and followed Rory out the back door.

Luckily, Rory seemed to sense Jess' discomfort, as well as the reason behind it, and she took them a secret back way Lorelai had discovered while Rory was in Washington, D.C., that long-ago summer. _Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer…_ Rory shuddered. If she wasn't careful, that horrendous song would be stuck in her head all over again. Not to mention the PTSD flashbacks of Jess and what's-her-face, pressed up against a tree.

"Michel?" Rory called, closing the inn door behind her. Jess glanced around, looking at all the tchotchkes Lorelai had surely chosen by hand. He wandered over to the mantel to examine some bobble heads as Rory searched out Michel.

"Get that filthy creature away from me!" the Frenchman's snooty voice rang out. Jess half-listened to their conversation, now flipping through the book selection in the inn's library.

"Michel, you love dogs," Rory said.

"I love _clean _dogs. Paw-Paw and Chin-Chin were the cleanest of dogs. This creature, however…"

"Aw, Michel, did Paw-Paw die too?" Rory asked sympathetically, noticing the past tense.

"Yes, sadly, he was overcome with grief after the loss of his brother. He could not go on." Michel sniffled and Jess had to hold back a snort.

"Well, Paul Anka is pretty clean. Anyway, Mom wanted me to tell you and Sookie…where is Sookie, anyhow?"

"In the kitchen, _bien sûr_."

"Jess?" Rory called.

"In here."

"I'll be in the kitchen with Sookie. Can you keep an eye on Paul Anka?"

"Sure." Jess took the leash she handed him and exchanged a quiet glance with her. Everything she wanted to say to him was right there, in her eyes, but he didn't have time to interpret it all before she looked away, and his heart sank.

"I'll be right back."

Jess nodded and sat down with a book (hardcover, so as not to freak out Paul Anka), beginning to read while he waited for Rory. He was barely on the fifth page before Rory, Sookie, and Michel all came bustling back into the reception area. "Cookie, Jess?" Sookie asked brightly, startling him.

"Oh, uh, sure," he said, taking a warm oatmeal raisin off the tray she proffered. "It's delicious," he added, after a bite.

"Thank you! And I just know Luke is going to be fine," she said. "He's tough."

"Yeah, he is," Jess agreed, standing up and brushing his lap free of crumbs, which Paul Anka promptly cleaned up. "Could I have another?" he asked, eyeing the tray. He couldn't remember the last time he and Rory had eaten. Whiskey was the last thing he recalled going down his throat.

"Take as many as you want!" Sookie beamed, seeming to take a shine to him based purely on the fact that he liked her cookies. _A lot easier to please than Lorelai_, he mentally noted. He took two and handed one off to Rory, who smiled her thanks and bit into it eagerly.

"You know, Sookie, I've been to Paris, and London, and Dublin, and Prague, and _never _have I had a cookie that measures up to yours." Sookie blushed and waved away the praise. "Well, we'd better be going," she added, glancing at Jess. "I'm sure Mom will call any minute with an update."

"Take the rest of these to her," Sookie suggested, loading the cookies into a plastic baggie. "She'll say she's not hungry, but I bet she really is."

"You know her well," Rory said. "Bye, Sookie. Bye, Michel." She grabbed Paul Anka's leash and led the way out of the inn.

Once outside, Jess asked, "Is she always so – "

"Perky? Yes."

"And is he always so – "

"French? Yes."

He chuckled and they walked in silence for a few minutes. The crickets chirped around them and stars glinted in the sky. Jess had nearly forgotten how _quiet _small towns were. You could almost hear everybody's secrets. He tried to listen for Rory's, but came up with nothing. Neither spoke aloud for the duration of the walk, although words were rushing through Jess' mind, and, unbeknownst to him, through Rory's as well.

Rory made sure Paul Anka's bowl was full again, flicked off a few lights, and locked the back door. "So I guess we should head back," she said softly, looking at Jess.

"Rory…if we don't talk about it…I think I'll scream," he said honestly. She bit her lip and sighed. Then she gestured to the sofa and sat down. He took a seat next to her and waited, watching her face, half-lit by the full moon outside, half cloaked in darkness.

"Aren't you scared?" she asked. "Jess, I'm scared. I'm scared it won't work."

He swallowed. "Yeah. Yeah." He didn't know what else he could say. It sounded like she was saying no. "But…don't you think we should try?" He stared straight ahead of him, fearing that look on her face, the one that meant _no_. To his great surprise, he heard sniffling. He whipped his head around and searched out her eyes, huge and watering.

"I'm sorry," she said thickly. "I didn't mean to cry. It's just…" She paused and looked around for a tissue. Jess pulled one out of his jacket pocket. "Thank you. It's just that Luke's in the hospital, and I saw how that affected Mom, and it just made me think about how _short _life is, and how easily you can lose someone…" She dabbed at her eyes. There was a long silence. Jess could feel she had more to say. He waited. "I don't want to go through losing you again," she said eventually, looking him straight in the eye for the first time since they'd left the hospital.

"Rory…" He reached out and cupped her face, wiping away some of the tears with his thumb. "You're not going to lose me. Things are different now."

"You keep saying that, but what if they _aren't_?" Her words choked off with a sob. "We lived in the same town before. We could see each other every day, talk every day, and it _still _didn't work." She sniffled, raising the tissue to her nose.

Jess shrugged. "What about…" He hesitated. "What about what I said before? About following you?" He paused. "I didn't mean…you know, I didn't mean going to _every _hotel with you, being with you 24/7. I want you to do your job. I don't want to distract you."

"Your existence distracts me," Rory muttered, but then lifted her face and half-smiled at him.

"Back atcha," he replied softly. "Truncheon's over," he continued, swallowing hard. "But I have my books, and I could try to get them published at other small presses around the country. There are a lot of them out West."

"Books?" Rory repeated. "Plural?" Jess just looked at her, the ghost of a smile playing around his lips. "You wrote another one? When can I read it?"

"It was going to be the next book I sent to you in the mail," he explained. "I guess I ruined the surprise."

She grinned, though tears still glistened on her cheeks. "What's it called? What's it about?" she asked eagerly.

He shook his head. "I'm not ruining any more surprises." She swatted him on the shoulder. "Fine, fine. It's called _White Picket Fences_. But you'll have to read for yourself to find out what it's about."

"_White Picket Fences_, hmm, what town could that possibly apply to?" Rory teased, and Jess laughed. Then they both fell silent. "Do you really want this, Jess?" she asked eventually.

"I do." No hesitation.

"You really want me?" He could tell that was what she truly wanted to know.

"Yes." Even less hesitation. He looked at her. "We can figure it out, Rory." He couldn't resist leaning forward and kissing some of the tears away, letting the salty taste linger. He pulled back, but only slightly, letting her make a choice. He tangled his fingers in her hair, waiting. Blue burrowed into brown, and then her lips were on his, and it felt like their first kiss all over again, full of excitement and triumph and new possibilities.


End file.
